Volunteers, workers help with last rites
On a day when official records showed 10 deaths due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Gautam Budh Nagar district, the Antim Niwas crematorium in Sector 94 saw 57 bodies being cremated on Friday with Covid protocols.
As case tallies surge, most of the bodies coming to the crematorium are Covid casualties. With the fears of the infection raging, workers and volunteers reveal that for many, not even four kin came to perform the last rites.
A resident of Sector 33, Anil Sharma came to Antim Niwas crematorium with his nephew for the last rites of his 86-yearold father who died of Covid-19, on Thursday. He said as many as six members of his family are Covid positive, because of which no one else accompanied him.
“Only my nephew and I are left to make all arrangements. We could not find help from anyone even though I have been living in Noida for a decade now and know so many people here, but some did not even take my call,” said Sharma (51).
Brahma Prakash, the manager, said there are several such cases every day. “Just a day ago, a woman, whose husband passed away due to Covid-19, came with her daughter to cremate the body. Her husband’s brother refused to perform the last rites, fearing Covid-19. I had to do it for them,” he said.
However, being the manager, he said he is not present for all such cases. He said before the Covid surge, the crematorium used to receive 10-15 bodies; they are now getting at least 60 daily.
The crematorium has 24 platforms and two CNG furnaces for cremations. “The situation is so critical that even the footpath outside has become a crematorium as last rites are taking place there as well,” he said.
Sector 22 resident Pradeep Vohra has been volunteering at the Antim Niwas for the past 11 days. “I am a social worker; 11 days ago I got a call from a 15-year-old asking for help to cremate his mother who had died due to Covid. His father was also Covid positive and no one among their kin were ready to help. After I helped the boy, I realised that the situation currently is very grim,” said Vohra, who said he helps cremate around 11-13 bodies every day.
He added that the pandemic has made people so afraid that many just send their relative’s bodies in an ambulance with a driver. “In many cases, relatives merely pay extra to ambulance drivers and ask them to get the bodies cremated,” said Vohra.