Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 13

The Union Jal Shakti Ministry has asked the Ganga river basin states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand to ensure that no dead, partially burnt bodies or unidentified corpses are dumped into the river and its tributaries.

A source in the Jal Shakti Ministry said on Thursday that Director-General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Rajiv Mishra has sought the intervention of the chief secretaries of these states in the matter.

In a letter to chief secretaries, Mishra stressed on the need for specific direction to the district administrations concerned for effective control or future incidence of dumping of dead bodies in the Ganges and its tributaries.

The ministry has also stressed upon the states that such incidence of dumping of dead bodies, including those suspected of Covid infection endangers the life of communities residing near the banks of the rivers.

The ministry has also constituted nodal officers of NMCG for each of the five Ganga basin states to coordinate with the local authorities regarding disposal of the dead bodies found in the river.

The NMCG has also informed the states that it would also consider financial assistance on proposals sent to it in the matter.

Besides, the ministry has also issued advisory to all the District Ganga Protection Committees which are headed by district magistrates with regard to prevention of dumping of dead bodies and pollution of the river.

It includes measures to immediately halt dumping of dead bodies/partially burnt bodies/unclaimed or unidentified corpses in the river and its tributaries.

Also, all the bodies should be disposed as per standing Covid protocol guidelines of the Union government.

Nearly 100 bodies were recently found floating in Ganga in Bihar’s Buxar district and in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district setting off alarm bells.