Sunil Sharma, the in-charge of Ghazipur crematorium, told IANS: "From December to the beginning of March, we were conducting the final rites of people at places designated for Covid victims since the deaths owing to the pandemic had reduced significantly. But in the last fortnight, with the resurgence of the pandemic, many more bodies of Corona victims are arriving at the crematorium. That's why, we have once again identified spots designated for Covid victims and are following the norms prescribed by authorities."

 

Adds Manoj Kumar, in-charge of the Mangol Puri crematorium: "In the past few months, we were not getting many bodies of Covid victims. But this has changed drastically in the last fortnight and we are again getting a number of cremation requests for pandemic victims. We can cremate 20 bodies of Covid victims and 20 non-Covid victims at one time."

 

Avadesh Sharma, chief supervisor of Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat Crematorium, said: "From January to March, one Covid victim was cremated in every two days, on an average. But the number has increased in April. Since April 11, the number has risen to between 25 and 30. Today, 30 Corona victims will be cremated. Of these, 12 are being cremated at the CNG facility."

 

The number of Covid-19 victims is rising every day in the Capital. In such a scenario, the biggest crematoriums in Delhi - such as Nigambodh Ghat, Punjabi Bagh and Lodhi Road - are now permitting final rites of Covid-19 victims.

 

Apart from these, final rites of Covid-19 victims are being conducted at Ghazipur and Karkardooma in East Delhi and burial grounds near Shastri Park, Khichdipur and ITO.