COVID-19: UP's Ghaziabad crematorium struggles amid rising deaths

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, people were seen, along with corpses, outside a crematorium in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad on Saturday.

People along with the corpses of their relative awaited their turn to perform the final rites.

Speaking to ANI, Acharya Manish, Chief Manager Ghaziabad Cremation Ghat said: "We used to receive 10 to 15 corpses including covid and non-covid per day earlier, but from seven to eight days, this count has gone up. For the covid corpse, we have arranged a different ground to perform their last rites. Corpses are being kept in wait outside the premises just to avoid the crowd inside the crematorium."

The Municipal Corporation is constantly taking stock of the situation at the cremation ground.

"We have started a token system as the crowd of the bodies is increasing day by day at the cremation ground. This system will also be applied to the COVID bodies. These bodies will be brought to the platform only after their turn come. The Municipal Corporation also carrying out cleaning and sanitation work on the cremation ground with the utmost care," Mahendra Singh Tawar, Municipal Commissioner Ghaziabad said.

Uttar Pradesh is Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced for the Sunday lockdown in the state and instructions to the officials regarding the lockdown and the curfew.

During the lockdown, medical and health-related services and supply of essential goods would continue. A massive campaign of sanitation and sanitization will be carried out during the weekends.

The state government enforced night curfew in all districts with more than 500 active Covid-19 cases and also ordered the closure of schools and coaching from class 1 to 12 in the state till April 30.

(ANI)

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