Litigant seeking to remove crematorium constructed by Isha Foundation; HC seeks counter

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the State and Isha Foundation to file a counter to the petition seeking the removal of the electric crematorium being set up by the Isha yoga center at Ikkarai Boluvampatti, Coimbatore.

The petition was heard by a vacation bench of Justice J Sathya Narayana Prasad and Justice V Lakshmi Narayanan.

Petitioner SN Subramanian submitted that the Isha Foundation constructing a huge electric crematorium in the name of Kalabhairavar Dhagana Mandapam, abutting his house at Ikkarai Boluvampatti. The Isha, creating non-stop nuisance and untold harassment by dumping all the wastes from the yoga center near his house, to force him to sell the property, said the petitioner.

The president of Ikkarai Boluvampatti village panchayat and Coimbatore South, environment engineer passed an order allowing the Isha to construct the crematorium without conducting a public hearing with the villagers to get their consent, contended the petitioner.

Since the place is highly eco-sensitive as huge numbers of elephants habitat in the Ikkarai Boluvampatti, if the crematorium is allowed to function, the elephant herds will get irritated by the foul smell and may become more violent, said the petitioner.

The petitioner submitted that as per Tamil Nadu village panchayats(provision of burial and burning grounds) rules, 1999, no person should bury or burn or cause to be buried or burnt any corpse in any place within 90 meters of a dwelling place and said that the crematorium constructed by the Isha is just 50 meters away from his house.

After the submission, the bench directed the State and Isha Foundation to file a counter and posted the matter to June 12 for further submission.