Jamshedpur: Amidst spurt in Covid deaths in the city, three electric furnaces at Subarnarekha burning ghat in Bhuinyandih have stopped functioning due to overload of cremating bodies.
The district administration has assigned the Subarnarekha burning ghat for the Covid bodies which are coming for cremation in large numbers daily.
The city has recorded 1070 coronavirus positive cases in the last 24 hours, which is the highest single-day spike since the beginning of the pandemic last year. The city also witnessed 32 deaths taking the total to 718. Amidst growing cases of Covid, a total of 1070 fresh cases reported in the last 24 hours. District’s positive cases tally has mounted to 37927, According to the data provided by the East Singhbhum district health department on 32 fatalities were due to the Covid-19 infection in the last 24 hours, the death toll has climbed to 718. The total active cases are 6644.
An official of Subarnarekha Ghat managing committee said cremating Covid bodies was proving to be a tough task in an on-going Covid situation. “ Due to over load of dead bodies. Three out of four furnaces are not functional. The furnaces are being repaired by a Kolkata-based firm. It will take two-three days for the furnaces to get functional,” he added.
According to the official, the furnaces function non-stop with the spread of second wave of Covid. “ As per our report over 40 Covid bodies are coming for cremation daily. It was 46 on Tuesday while 53 bodies were cremated on Monday). This has led to furnaces to stop functioning,” he said.
The ghat management committee is spending sleepless nights as Covid bodies are coming one after another. “We spend day and night at the crematorium to complete the formalities. The situation was not like this last year in Covid times,” Rao said.
Though charges of cremating Covid bodies is Rs 1,500 but the ghat management panel is charging Rs 2,000. They are taking extra money to pay people who complete the last rites of Covid bodies since families and relatives are not allowed to do the same.
“We are planning to set up special mortuaries in at least dedicated Covid-19 hospitals across the state for Covid-19 death cases. This apart, we are also planning to identify lands far away from inhabited areas for cremation/burial of Covid-19 patients,” said an official of the health department.