As leaders across the political spectrum embarking on tree plantation drive and mouthing platitudes on the imperative of conserving environment to mark the World Environment Day, the proposal mooted about two years ago to set up two electric crematoria on the bank of the Gaula river in Haldwani by way of environment conservation initiative still keeps hanging fire.
The project to be implemented at Ranibagh Shamshan Ghat in Haldwani-the first of its kind in the region — is meant to replace the conventional way of cremation with the high-tech one. Once set up, they would help minimise the volume of air pollution aside from saving trees from being indiscriminately felled to light the pyres. Besides, it is hoped that the high-tech cremation would substantially bring down the pollution of the river.
There are other problems too.
Since Ranibagh Shamsan Ghat caters to the people from a large area many of the bodies are not rightly disposed of for dearth of the required quantum of wood. This leads to further pollution of Gaula river which is the primary source of drinking water for Haldwani and its adjacent areas. Keeping these concerns in view, the State Irrigation Department’ s Kumaon division firmed up the high-tech burning ghat proposal around two years ago.
Irrigation department officials said that National Ganga River Basin Authority was supposed to fund this Rs5 crore project. Apart from installing two electric crematoria, there is also a plan to equip the site with other basic facilities like drinking water and electricity.
However, things have not moved an inch since the plan was mooted. Despite being aware of things remaining stuck in papers, the State Government is not taking any initiative to carry things forward, rued the people from the area..