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High court slams notices as Delhi refuses to cremate kids' bodies

The Delhi high court today issued show-cause notices to the Union ministry of environment, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Jal Board and directed them to state the reasons for refusing still-born children and bodies of children for cremation at various crematoria in the capital.

A division bench directed the respondents to reply to the notices by tomorrow when it would decide whether to pass a direction restraining the crematoria from refusing the bodies of children.

The notice was accepted by central government standing counsel Maninder Singh on behalf of the ministry, while counsel for petitioner Rajeev Awasthi was directed to serve the notices to the MCD and the DJB personally.

The petition filed by Jitender Sahni stated that various crematoria were refusing to accept the bodies of children for cremation and they were submerged in Yamuna water by attaching a heavy boulder to their bodies.

Awasthi argued that besides being inhuman, this caused major environment and health hazard as the same water was being provided for drinking and other use after treatment. The level of pollution in Yamuna had already reached an alarming proportion, and if the bodies were submerged in Yamuna in this manner the river water would not be of any use in future, he added.

Highlighting the need for controlling the pollution level in the Yamuna, the petition urged the court to pass a direction to the central government to control the pollution and ensure the supply of hygienic water to the residents of Delhi.

Describing the pathetic condition, Awasthi submitted that parts of the bodies start floating after a couple of days, causing environmental and health hazards.

In the case of an infant child, the body is buried on the river bank. Since the pit is not deep enough, dogs dig out the grave during nights.

The petition was filed on the basis of a reference made in the 'letters column' of newspapers where a sordid story was narrated by one Sushil Sehgal who had a still-born child.

When Sehgal went to the crematoria, the authorities refused to accept the child saying that the body had to be disposed of in the river. The same story was repeated at all the crematoria, the petition said.

UNI

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