No complaint on lack of facility in crematoriums: MCD to Delhi HC

New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has informed the high court that the COVID-19 pandemic-like situation is not in existence anymore and no complaint regarding lack of facilities to cremate or bury bodies has been received.

The Delhi High Court, hearing petitions concerning the burial and cremation of dead bodies in the wake of the overwhelming number of fatalities due to COVID-19 last year, took into consideration the steps taken by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to increase the number of crematoriums and burial grounds in the city.

After considering the averments made in the petitions and the status reports filed by the authorities from time to time, a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said no further orders were required to be filed in the petitions and disposed them.

The MCD, in its status report, said there were 49 cremation grounds, six burial grounds, five infant burial grounds, two cemeteries and three green cremation systems in the city.

The court was also informed by the MCD that tenders have been floated for creation of four CNG cremation grounds and steps for their completion would be taken at the earliest.

The civic body said it has not received any complaint regarding lack of facility to cremate or bury dead bodies and that it would be taking appropriate steps in case such a complaint was received.

The high court had earlier sought a status report from the local authorities on the status of electric and CNG crematoriums here and the steps taken by them to increase their use in place of wood.

It had also asked the authorities to disclose the details and particulars of the electric and CNG crematoriums in their status report.

One of the petitioners, Pratyush Prasanna, had approached the court last year, seeking to temporarily increase the number of cremation and burial sites in the city in view of the "overwhelming" number of people dying due to COVID-19.