Seek corporate donations to build electric crematoriums: Bombay HC to Maharashtra govt

The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the Maharashtra government and municipal authorities in Aurangabad to make an appeal to industrialists and local corporates to donate and help construct electric and LPG crematoriums in the districtWhen told about high cost involved in constructing LPGelectric crematoriums the Aurangabad bench of the HC cited the example of Israel saying the West Asian country bought the COVID19 vaccine at more than the market cost to inoculate its citizens and save on losses from a nationwide lockdownThe HC said the authorities must make an appeal to key industrial sectors in Aurangabad to make donations as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility CSR spendings to help build crematoriumsThe direction from a bench comprising Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Bhalchandra Debadwar came after the court was informed that at present Aurangabad district did not have a single electric or LPG crematoriumThe central Maharashtra district in the Marathwada region is also an industrial hubThe bench was hearing a suo moto on its own PIL initiated on the basis of several news reports to address issues such as compulsory wearing of face masks proper funeral rites of COVID19 patients shortage of medical oxygen supply and blackmarketing of Remdesivir among other thingsPublic prosecutor DR Kale told the HC that electric or LPG crematoriums were expensive to construct and maintain as they needed regular power supply and a certain temperature needed to be maintained at all timesKale said people were using wood for funeral pyres This prompted the court to say that the current situation would result in indiscriminate tree felling and destruction of the environmentTake a leaf out of Israels book It paid 30 dollars instead of 15 for each vaccine dose to ensure it got enough stock It vaccinated over 90 per cent of its population and managed to save manifold by avoiding a nationwide lockdown the HC saidAnd here we are told that electric crematoriums are expensive They are the most cost effective in the long run the judges saidThe HC noted that LPG crematoriums were comparatively more cost effectiveThe HC said recently a Swedish company had donated ventilators to the Aurangabad medical college and hospital as part of its CSR initiativeWe call upon Divisional Commissioners of Aurangabad and the advocates representing the municipal corporations to make a statement as to whether they are inclined to invite industrialists and philanthropists to bring in LPG and electric crematoriums it saidIn our view chopping fire wood for lighting funeral pyre is disastrous to nature mother earth amp larger interest would be served amp saving natural resources would be done by converting from normal conventional methods to electricLPG crematoriums HC saidThe bench also sought to know the charges invoked against Sanjay Shirsat a local MLA who had participated in a bhoomi pujan ceremony recently in violation of the restrictions imposed on citizens in view of the COVID19 pandemicShirsat had performed the ceremony pertaining to a development work in his constituencyReports showed photos of several persons crowding at the spot some wearing masks some not the HC said The bench also sought details of the number of offences registered against citizens for their failure to wea face masks helmets and carry Aadhaar cards when stepping outside of their homes during the pandemicKale submitted that an offence was registered against the MLA and 40 to 50 people who had participated in the ceremonyThe HC said three serving judges from the court had witnessed people riding motorbikes without masks helmets three persons sitting on one motorbike and other such incidentsAt least three serving judges have seen this Early in the morning at 6 not a single police personnel constable is seen there People are moving around outside absolutely freely without masks helmets the bench notedIt directed the state government and the Aurangabad municipal authorities to inform the court of the steps taken so far to address issues related to implementation of COVID19 norms and use of helmets while riding twowheelersThe state authorities meanwhile informed the court that Aurangabad had a surplus of at least 200 metric tonnes of oxygen in all hospitals nursing homes COVID centres to ensure no patient suffered on account of lack of oxygenThe state submitted that about 234 lakh people in Aurangabad district had been vaccinated The first vaccine dose has been administered to 87 per cent of the eligible people in the districtWe are in a better position for oxygen Private hospitals have started generation of oxygen now Kale saidThe bench on April 26 had made it mandatory for everyone under its jurisdiction venturing out on road barring the fourhour morning relaxation between Monday and Friday from 7 am to 11 am to carry Aadhaar cardsIt had also asked people to wear helmets and face masks while riding twowheelersThe HC asked the authorities to consult medical experts and inform it as to whether they can authoritatively advise the medical fraternity in Maharashtra to refrain from overinsistence on Remdesivir a key COVID19 drug and fall back on alternativesThe HC directed that all those who succumbed to COVID19 be given a proper funeral and that their bodies were not dumped together in body bags while being carried to crematoriumscemeteries as was done on some previous occasionsThe HC will hear the matter further on May 6This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever