Vehicles back in parking lots as crematorium rush eases
Vehicles are back in the parking lot of Ghazipur crematorium -- the space that was being used to cremate dead bodies on temporary platforms for nearly a month when a sharp spike in the number of deaths due to Covid-19 led to city crematoriums running out of space.
At the Seemapuri crematorium, too, in the past one week no body has been burnt in the parking lot. Photographs of mass cremations at the two sites were widely circulated last month, as the national capital reported nearly 400 deaths every day.
However, with the number of deaths declining steadily, the situation is much better at the city’s funeral grounds and graveyards. On Tuesday, Delhi recorded 156 Covid-19 deaths, which was the lowest since April 16.
On May 22, when Delhi reported 182 deaths, it was the first time in 35 days that fatalities dropped below 200. On Sunday, too, it was below 200 before increasing slightly on Monday at 208, according to the Delhi government’s heath bulletin. To be sure, the daily deaths mentioned in the bulletin are not always of those who died in the previous 24 hours.
A senior Delhi government health official, who asked not to be named, said, “The numbers are recalibrated and also reflect the deaths of those who died even two weeks ago. The Death Audit Committee (DAC) verifies each case to check if the person has indeed died of Covid-19 complications. Only then is his/her case added to the bulletin data. The deaths are certainly reducing. This can be seen at the crematoriums. The reason why the fatality number is still near 200 is because of the high volume of cases and deaths that happened in the last one month.”
Officials managing the two crematoriums said the death numbers are coming down, and the situation has improved.
Ram Karan Mishra, head priest of the Ghazipur crematorium, said that they cremated only five Covid-19 bodies on Saturday. “Last month, we performed at least 80-90 Covid funerals every day. The total body count then was 125 (both Covid and non-covid-deaths). It was the highest in the last week of April. Since we had only 36 platforms, we had to remove vehicles and hold some funerals in the parking lot. I remember there was less than one feet distance between two pyres. You can also see some of my photographs conducting funerals with bodies placed closely.”
Mishra said, over a week ago, vehicles were again allowed inside the lot. “Now, we even have time to speak to you. Last month, there was so much chaos that we had to call some of our boys from the village to help us,” he added.
On April 2, the Delhi government declared the ongoing surge as the city’s fourth wave of infection. In terms of the number of cases and fatalities, it was Delhi’s deadliest by a big margin.
In the first three days of May, Delhi recorded over 400 deaths every day, with the highest, 448, on May 3. Before the fourth wave, the deaths had reduced steadily over the past several months. In December, Delhi reported 1,276 deaths, followed by 292 in January 2021, and 53 in February. In March, there were 116 Covid deaths. In April, the number reached 5,120.
Jitender Singh Shunty, founder of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal (SBSSD), said he finally has time to speak to his family over the phone and take breaks during the day. The SBSSD manages the Old Seemapuri crematorium.
“We do not use that space (parking lot) anymore. Fewer bodies of Covid victims are coming in now. We can manage it within the crematorium space. Last month, there were bodies all around and no space. We did a maximum of 118 funerals in a day last month, of which 90% were Covid-related. Now for the past 8-10 days, we are getting about 17 bodies daily, of which only 10 are that of Covid victims,” he said.
HT reported on May 20, how the construction of 150 pyre platforms at Sarai Kale crematorium in south Delhi was halted as fewer bodies were being brought to the crematorium.
Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, a public health expert and epidemiologist, said that though the footprint of the fourth wave may mean that Delhi is unlikely such a sharp spike in cases and deaths in the immediate future, it is imperative to invest in health care infrastructure and staff.
“While cases have dropped, I’d prefer to wait for the positivity rate to remain below 5% for at least two weeks before we can conclusively say the fourth wave has passed,” he said.
Dr Lahariya also said that while vaccines are essential in the long run, the basics of Covid-appropriate behaviour such as masking and distancing are essential to stem spikes in the short term.
STAFF MANAGING CREMATORIUMS SAY FEWER BODIES WERE COMING IN NOW COMPARED TO LAST MONTH