Centre asks states to check future incidences of people dumping bodies in Ganga, its tributaries.
The Centre on Tuesday requested states alongside the Ganga to guarantee strict vigilance and check future incidences of people dumping bodies in the river and its tributaries.
In a letter to District Ganga Committees that are chaired by district magistrates or collectors, the National Mission for Clean Ganga — the apex physique that screens rejuvenation of the river and its tributaries- additionally requested the authorities to dispose unidentified bodies of suspected COVID-19 victims in accordance with security protocols.
“Ensure strict vigilance along length of the river within territorial jurisdiction of the district to prevent and check such future incidences of people dumping dead bodies in Ganga and its tributaries and of any other activity hazardous for river Ganga and health and hygiene of the area,” NMCG Director General Rajiv Ranjan Mishra stated in the letter to the chairpersons of the committees.
It has additionally requested them to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) to the NMCG in the subsequent 14 days, the letter stated.
Mishra stated dumping of bodies/partially dumped bodies/decomposed corpse not solely causes air pollution in the river, however can be unhygienic and will increase the danger of spreading infections in communities inhabiting the banks of rivers.
The letter was written to the states after bodies had been noticed floating in Ganga and Yamuna in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh over the previous two days at a time when the nation is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bihar authorities stated altogether 71 bodies have been fished out from the Ganges in Buxar district, the place these had been discovered floating in the river, triggering suspicion that the deserted corpses could possibly be these of COVID-19 sufferers.
State Water Resources Minister Sanjay Kumar got here out with a sequence of tweets, asserting that the bodies had flown downstream from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
“The Bihar government is seized of the matter of unfortunate case of floating mortal remains in river Ganga. The bodies have floated into Bihar from UP,” stated Jha, including, medical doctors have confirmed upon autopsy that the deaths had taken place “four-five days” in the past.
He stated Chief minister Nitish Kumar was pained at each the tragedy in addition to the “harm” to river Ganga.
On Monday, residents in Hamirpur district noticed 5 bodies floating in the Yamuna, making a scare that these had been of COVID sufferers.
The bodies had been later fished out and cremated.
