On one hand, the Government has launched a nationwide cleanliness campaign, vowing to turn it into a mass movement, on the other, a proposal mooted about a year ago to set up two electric crematoriums on the bank of the Gola river here in Haldwani still remains pending.
Obviously, the proposal of replacing the conventional way of performing the last rites with the modern and high-tech crematoriums at Ranibag 'Shamshan Ghat' on the bank of river Gola in Haldwani was aimed at minimising pollution in the Gola river which is the primary source of Haldwani's drinking water requirements apart from being a huge source for irrigation.
Besides, apart from maintaining the quality of the water, the power-driven crematoriums would also stop indiscriminate felling of trees which are used as fuel woods for disposing off the bodies, as the environmentalists here believe.
More so, since the Ranibag ‘Shamsan Ghat' caters to a large area of this region, the bodies in many cases are left half-burnt for want of required amount of the fuel woods. These are being dumped in the river, resulting in increasing volume of pollution in the river. Keeping this in view, the State Irrigation Department, Kumaon division, decided to equip the Ranibag 'Shamsan Ghat' on the bank of the Gola river with two modern electric crematoriums. As the officials concerned of the State Irrigation department, Kumaon division, said the National Ganga River Authority was supposed to fund this project. It is about `5 crore project and we had urged the agency concerned to grant the amount, they added.
Apart from installing two electric crematoriums, there was also a plan to equip the Ranibag crematorium site with other basic facilities like drinking water and electricity services so that the visitors do not face inconveniences during their visit to the crematorium site, the officials informed.
But nothing has been done so far for want of the requisite fund. Modernisation of the traditional crematorium site on the bank of river Gola at Ranibagh in Haldwani would be the first of its kind in the region.
Since nothing has moved from the proposal stage so far it is to be seen whether the ongoing 'Clean India Campaign' comes in handy to give a concrete shape to the long-pending project.