GS Paul
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, May 11
With Covid casualties on the rise, crematoriums in Amritsar have run out of space.
The caretakers of two main crematoriums — one under Durgiana Temple Managing committee and the other near Gurdwara Shaheedan Sahib — have asked the kin of the deceased to conclude the last rites ‘before time’ to pave the way for others in the queue.
In April, the district witnessed 283 Covid deaths. With 17 more deaths reported to date, the toll has increased to 1,139. Ironically, the residents were reluctant to cremate the deceased on electric crematorium or the LPG furnaces. At the Durgiana crematorium, the electric furnace had been lying for the past four decades but seldom used. The LPG furnace, established a few years ago at a cost of Rs 25 lakh, too, found a few takers.
Durgiana committee president Ramesh Sharma said they were forced to build makeshift pyre pedestals at whatever place they could spare on the premises.
“We have been receiving around 45-47 bodies daily on an average, including 10-12 of Covid patients. To deal with the situation, we have made additional 12 pyre plinths. Still, all the 70 pedestals would be occupied till the kin of the deceased collect the mortal remains. Normally, they collect those on the fourth day after the ‘chautha’, as per the tradition. Now, we have been urging them to do the same in advance to vacate the space for those waiting in the queue for the last rites. Similarly, our ash storage, too, was full to its capacity as the families seldom collect the ashes for final immersion in holy waters on time,” he said.
Using an adjoining plot “temporarily” to store wood for cremations led to a tiff between the committee and the PUDA, the custodian of the land. “We have again urged the PUDA authorities to charge a reasonable price for the purpose,” he said.
The situation was also edgy at another crematorium near Gurdwara Sheheed Baba Deep Singh. Manager Krishan Gopal said almost all 47 pyre platforms remained booked.
“We have been receiving around 30 bodies daily, including 7-8 of Covid patients. We have told the families to collect the remains on the second day positively and spare the space for the next cremation. We have made 50 additional ash storage boxes. The families can store the ashes in an urn and take those back after ‘chautha’ for immersion,” he added.
Crematoria overwhelmed, kin told to speed up last rites
{$excerpt:n}
