Friday, 26 August 2022, | PNS | Nainital
The Uttarakhand high court has directed the State government to establish electric crematoria in all municipal zones of the State within six months and submit monthly reports on the same in the court. The division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice RC Khulbe issued this direction while hearing on 20 public interest litigations filed regarding various problems faced during the Covid-19 pandemic in Uttarakhand. The division bench heard the issues and disposed of the petitions on Thursday.
Jwalapur, Haridwar resident Ishwar Chandra Verma had stated in his PIL that during the Covid pandemic adequate facilities for cremation of bodies were not available in Haridwar. Due to this, at times the bodies were left partially cremated on the burning ghats. The petitioner had stated that the Uttar Pradesh government had established an electric crematorium at Khadkadi in Haridwar about 25 years ago which the State government was not operating so far. Dah Sanskar Seva Samiti volunteer Durgesh Panjwani stated that it costs upto Rs 3,000 for cremating one body using wood. At times, some people simply immerse the bodies in the river when unable to find adequate wood for cremation. Further, if an electric crematorium is operated, it will cost Rs 500 and take one hour to cremate a body whereas it takes about three hours for a body to be cremated with wood. The petitioner had appealed to the court that there should be one electric crematorium in the area under every municipal body.
