With Covid-19 enacting dance of death in Delhi, the crematoriums in the national Capital are unable to cope up with the arrival of body bags. At Gazipur crematorium on Thursday night, bodies were cremated virtually on the road while several others were put on the “waiting” list.
Grief-stricken family members were made to wait for hours for performing the last rites.
The situation is so heart-rending that people coming with bodies at burial grounds, are cremating bodies even without performing last rites.
The North and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) have increased capacity of all its 21 crematoriums and burial grounds coming under its jurisdiction.
The North Corporation has 12 burial grounds and cemeteries with a capacity of 448 bodies in a day. Out of it, only 305 platforms are available for person who died of Covid-19. But the number of Covid-19 bodies coming for cremation is thrice the capacity, a corporation senior official said.
“The situation is terrible and despite putting all the efforts the number of bodies is multiplying every day. At least 12 pyres constructed at Panchkuiyan road cremation ground by works department of the Karol Bagh Zone. We have increased pyre from 20 to 40 at Inderpuri crematorium and five more will be added by Saturday hopefully to meet the growing demand,” he said.
“The CNG furnaces were operated for 7 to 8 hours earlier but now all furnaces are functioning 24 hours without break. We have used all the empties spaces but still very short,” he said.
East Corporation has five burial grounds and all are exhausted. “We have used the unused spaces in all cremation grounds but still very short as the number of bodies is more than the capacity of burial grounds. People have even started cremating bodies in open and vacant areas,” said a senior official.
The south Corporation has nine cremation grounds and it has increased capacity of all its nine crematoriums and burial grounds coming under its jurisdiction.
A senior SDMC official said the decision to escalate platforms and pyres is taken in view increasing number of Covid-19 related deaths in the city.
“The capacity of cremating bodies has been augmented to 365 per day from 289 earlier. Out of the total capacity, 289 platforms have been reserved for people died of Covid-19. A number of platforms have also been reserved to ensure funeral of the deceased who died of Covid-19,” he said.
Besides, 10 cremation grounds that are run by NGOs and RWAs are also functioning in the city with the total capacity of 308 platforms. Out of it, 230 platforms are being used to cremate Covid-19 bodies. “All these facilities are running out of space and staffs deployed here are working 24 hours to facilitate cremation one after another.
“Police teams have been deployed at the crematorium, who are helping people in cremating bodies and even they are performing last rites traditions for those dead bodies who doesn’t have any relative or family members at the time of cremation,” said RP Meena, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Southeast district.
“Police personnels are deployed at Nigambodh ghat to avoid any kind of untoward incident and they are managing the crowd there. The dead bodies as compared to the facilities for cremation here are more. Relatives, friends and family members coming with these are also in large numbers due to which the crowd can be seen at cremation grounds,” said a senior police official.
