No vedic cremation for the dead as Ganga swallows ghats

Kanpur, Aug 23 (UNI) Incessant rains have not only posed hardship for the living, but the dead are also under the wrath of rain God as most of the cremation points in this industrial city have been submerged in water of the swollen river Ganga.

Heavy downpour this monsoon season has brought troubles galore for the people residing here, who had to cope up with problems of power cuts, waterlogging, traffic snarls and filthy roads.

The overflowing river Ganga is not only posing problems for those residing at the low-lying areas, but also to those who want to cremate their family members at the ghat as almost all the cremation points were inundated with the sacred river water.

The people were forced to adopt electric cremation method for disposing the bodies. Out of the thirty ghats, including four cremation points, most were marooned.

However, adding more to their woes, the electric cremation facility was available only at Vhairon and Bhagatdass ghat resulting in no ending ques.

Besides, dry wood had fallen short and continuous spells of shower were making difficult to perform vedic method of cremation.

Earlier, electric crematorium were used only for disposing the unclaimed bodies for Rs 500, however, now nature has left no choice and people were reluctantly using this modern technique.

''We were left with no choice, but to go for electric cremation as intermittant rainfall and flood situation at the ghats were posing hardship in performing the traditional cremation method,'' Mr Deepak, who had arrived to participate in a funeral said.

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