Written by Jayprakash S NaiduRaipur | September 30, 2025 06:58 AM IST 3 min readWhen he recently attended a funeral at Rahangi Gram Panchayat in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha was shocked at the state of the cremation ground. There were no lights, fencing or approach roads to the area, which was overrun with wild growth and bushes – making it a breeding ground for snakes and other venomous creatures.In an order on Monday, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Sinha and Bibhu Datta Guru directed the Chhattisgarh government to draw up a road map to upgrade the state’s cremation grounds saying every human being “deserves a respectable see off”. This came on the back of suo motu Public Interest Litigation after the judge’s visit.According to the Bench, the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution includes the right to a dignified death and cremation.“When a person leaves for heavenly abode, his body deserves a respectable see off. A dead body is not an object which can be disposed [of] in an inhuman manner. Sentiments are attached with the person who had expired and hence, any family members/relatives etc. would definitely like to bid an adieu in a respectful manner and in a pacifying ambiance. It is the constitutional obligation of the State to ensure decent and sanitary conditions in such public facilities, and the failure to do so is an abdication of its duty under the Constitution, municipal Acts, and various environmental and public health laws,” the order said.The court directed the authorities to take 11 detailed measures to improve the conditions at the cremation ground, and asked the chief secretary of Chhattisgarh, the secretary of the state’s Panchayat and Social Welfare Department and the Bilaspur district magistrate to file the affidavits of its plans to upgrade cremation grounds.The case has now been listed for October 13.In his petition, the judge observes the lack of lighting, toilets, shed, or seats for people who come to the ground.“Further, it was observed that there was complete lack of cleaning as the articles used before and after cremation, discarded clothing, polythene bags, liquor bottles, and other unwanted articles were lying here and there without there being a single garbage bin,” the PIL said. “There are no authorised people to provide any service nor are there any signboards with numbers of authorities”.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Chhattisgarh