Covid Crisis: Crematoriums, Graveyards Struggle To Keep Up As Country Reports Over 1000 Deaths In A Single Day

The total number of cases in India now stands at 1,40,74,564, total recoveries are at 1,24,29,564, active cases at 14,71,877 and death toll at 1,73,123.

Image: PTI

India recorded its biggest-ever single-day spike on Thursday since the start of the pandemic with 2,00,739 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours and 1,038 deaths. There were 93,528 discharges said the Union Health Ministry. The total number of cases in India now stands at 1,40,74,564, total recoveries are at 1,24,29,564, active cases at 14,71,877 and death toll at 1,73,123. Apart from the shortage of beds and ICU and oxygen, India is also witnessing another dreadful battle. The crematorium and burial grounds are facing a huge crunch in space as the deaths by Covid 19 continue to surge.

Delhi:

According to a report by PTI, average of 10-15 bodies of COVID victims are being buried daily at the Qabristan Ahle Islam near ITO. 18 burials were performed on Wednesday.

Suman Gupta, the general secretary of Badi Panchayat Vaishya Beese Agarwal organisation that manages the city's main crematorium at the Nigambodh Ghat, hshared an equally sobering number

"Usually, around 50-60 cremations are performed here daily. The number has gone up to over 80 now," he says.

With a sharp rise in deaths due to the latest surge in COVID-19, crematoriums and burial grounds in the city are struggling to manage resources.

Bhopal:

Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal is also struggling to dispose of bodies as crematorium facilities and burial grounds are facingo space crunch.

"In the last four days, we have cremated 200 bodies, including those that needed to be disposed of as per COVID-19 protocols. Now, we have created a new such facility on two acres of land," said Mamtesh Sharma, secretary of the management committee of Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat, one of the biggest Hindu crematoriums in the state capital, as quoted by PTI.

"The situation is explosive. As many as 58 bodies, including 47 that needed to be disposed of as per COVID-19 guidelines, were cremated on Tuesday, while on Wednesday, more than 50 bodies were cremated so far and more are coming," he told PTI.

The Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat management committee has created additional space on two acres of land space for the cremation of bodies as per COVID-19 protocols.

Gujarat

Relatives of COVID-19 victims as well as those who died of other ailments are forced to wait for hours for performing the last rites as many crematoriums in Gujarat are witnessing a huge rush since the last one week.

Though Hindus generally do not cremate the dead after sunset, many of them are left with no option but to perform the last rites of the deceased at night in view of the rush of bodies at various crematoriums, officials said on Thursday.

Two days back, around 25 bodies were cremated simultaneously on wood pyres at night in a crematorium in Umra area of Surat city.

In Vadodara also, people were forced to cremate the deceased during night due to the huge rush at some crematoriums, Vadodara Municipal Corporation's standing committee chairman Hitendra Patel told PTI.

Uttar Pradesh:

Bodies of the Covid dead are piling at the two cremation grounds in Lucknow as the pandemic surges through Uttar Pradesh.

On Wednesday afternoon, there were 124 bodies at Baikunth Dham and Gullala Ghat, according to crematorium staff. The figures were 120 and 130 on Tuesday and Monday.

The crematorium staff said that based on their conversations with family members, they had learnt that most of the dead were Covid patients who had died in hospitals or while waiting for beds.

Usually, around 20 bodies are cremated at Baikunth Dham and 10 at Gullala Ghat.

Local media has been filled with grim reports of melting furnaces at crematoriums running non-stop, bodies piling up and smoke from continuously burning flesh creating another health risk for locals.