The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of bodies found floating in the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and issued notices to both the state governments.
The commission has issued the notice to the chief secretaries of the states, and the secretary of Union Jal Shakti Ministry’s Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Thursday, calling for action within four weeks.
Meanwhile, a plea was Thursday filed in the Supreme Court, seeking the constitution of a special investigating team headed by a sitting or retired apex court judge to supervise the probe into the matter.
Violation of Clean Ganga project guidelines
The NHRC, in its notice, observed that it seems the public authorities have failed to take concentric efforts in educating the masses and checking the immersion of half-burnt or unburnt bodies into Ganga.
“The practice of disposal of dead bodies in our sacred river Ganga is clearly in violation of guidelines of the National Mission for Clean Ganga project of Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,” the notice said.
“It has noted that The River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016… has laid down not only the comprehensive principles to be followed for rejuvenation, protection and management of River Ganga but also casted a duty that — No person shall do any act or carry on any project or process or activity which… has the effect of causing pollution in the River Ganga,” it added.
The commission has further said that the complainant, dated May 11 based on several media reports, has expressed apprehensions that these bodies were of Covid-19 victims.
“Hence, the disposal of dead bodies in such a manner may seriously affect all those persons, who are dependent on the holy river for their day to day activities,” it said.
Even if these bodies were not of Covid-19 victims, then such practice/incidents “are shameful to the society as a whole as that amounts to violation of human rights of even deceased persons”, it added.
At least 45 bodies were found floating near Ujiyar, Kulhadia and Bharauli ghats in the Narahi area on Tuesday evening. Late on Tuesday night, seven more bodies were found, taking the total count of bodies to 52, an official said.
District officials have begun performing the last rites to avoid Covid-19 contagion. The dumping of bodies also increases the risk of spreading infections in communities inhabiting the banks of rivers, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Bihar government on Tuesday said altogether 71 bodies have been fished out from the Ganges in Buxar district and were later cremated as per protocols. Some samples were, however, collected for DNA testing.
PIL in SC
The petition filed before the Supreme Court has sought directions to the Centre, authorities in states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to conduct post-mortem of the bodies to ascertain the cause of death.
The plea, filed by advocates Pradeep Kumar Yadav and Vishal Thakre, has claimed that recovery of these decomposed corpses raises issue of serious concern as the river acts as a source of water for many areas and if the bodies were infected by Covid-19, then it might spread in the villages in both the states.
The act of the states is inhuman as the states have failed to provide facilities for decent burial/cremation of bodies and have also failed to keep a check that holy river Ganga should not have been polluted by such an inhumane and indecent act either of individual or of states itself, the plea has alleged.
(With PTI inputs)
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