‘Maintain dignity of dead, alive during patients’ final rites’

MUMBAI: Observing that while maintaining the dignity of the dead was important, the Bombay high court (HC) said that the authorities should also ensure the safety of those conducting the last rites of Covid-19 patients as well as residents living around the crematoriums.

The court made the observations while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), raising concerns over the lack of safety precautions at Shivaji Park, Chandanwadi and Sion crematoriums, which have been receiving many bodies of Covid-19 patients every day for cremation.

The division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice NJ Jamadar, while hearing the PIL filed by activist Ketan Tiroodkar through video conferencing, was informed by advocate Aparna Vhatkar that there were serious lapses in the disposal of dead bodies, as a result of which the crematoriums were getting crowded, causing problems to the residents in the neighbourhood. Vhatkar further submitted that the staff of these crematoriums were not provided with safety gears such as personal protection equipment (PPE) kits, masks, sanitizers etc.

Civic body’s counsel Anil Sakhare, however, refuted the claims and said the World Health Organization (WHO) and central government’s guidelines were being followed for safe disposal of bodies. “The staff, driver and the attendant transporting bodies