ISHWAR CHAND VERMA Vs. STATE OF UTTARAKHAND

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition has been preferred in public interest to seek the following reliefs:-

(2.) Though, the writ petition was preferred in May, 2021 when the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic was raging, the issue raised by the petitioner with regard to installation of electric cremation furnace in the State of Uttarakhand is an important and serious issue. Due to lack of such facilities, which are otherwise available in other parts of the Country, the cremation of dead bodies is leading to large scale deforestation. It is a known fact that persons, who are not able to arrange wood for cremation of their near and dear ones, are leaving the bodies un-cremated and simply dumping them in rivers and waterways. Cremation of dead bodies with the use of wood, or the disposal of such bodies in river and waterways is also leading to air and water pollution.

(3.) The position which emerges from the records is that only one electric furnace for cremation has been installed in the State of Uttarakhand at Haridwar, which too is lying un-operational/ defective.