Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Court notice to officials on Besant Nagar crematorium

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Health Officer of Chennai Corporation and the Assistant Commissioner of Zone X to be present in court on August 7 to explain the eco-friendly measures taken at the crematorium in Besant Nagar.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice P. Jyothimani gave the interim direction on Monday, on a public interest litigation petition filed by Anandhi Akilan of State Bank Colony, Besant Nagar.

When the petitioner’s counsel P. Chandrasekaran pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), which had been directed by the court to file an inspection report, did not deny that dead bodies were being burnt in the open, the Judges said that even on sentimental grounds if such a practice took place without adequate safeguards then they would order the closure of the crematorium.

Mrs. Akilan submitted that women, children and aged persons among the 80,000 residents of the area suffered nausea and asthmatic attacks. She said the Kannammapet crematorium at T. Nagar had an updated technology and complied with norms and standards of Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998 and it carried out the cremations without emitting any pollutants.

She sought a direction to the TNPCB not to allow the Chennai Corporation to burn dead bodies in the open as well as in the electrical/gasifier crematorium till steps were taken as per the norms and standards of the Rules.

The TNPCB report, submitted in court by its counsel Raman Lal, admitted that about 10 per cent of the dead bodies brought to the crematorium were burnt in the open “due to pressure from the public, who are adamant about cremating the bodies as per Hindu customs.”

The crematorium is yet to obtain consent from the Board, it said, adding that stacks of electric crematorium must be dismantled. The inspection was carried out on July 22.

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