BHUBANESWAR: As Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) delays completion of two crematoriums that were planned at Patia and Aiginia during the first wave last year, the Satya Nagar crematorium is itself gasping for breath under the almost incessant flow of Covid fatalities.
A senior official of the BMC said the situation has turned grim as around 20 to 30 bodies, that sometimes include two or three unclaimed bodies, are being cremated at the site on a daily basis. He said that most bodies are of patients suspected to have been infected by coronavirus, which can only be confirmed after completion of the COVID audit carried out by the government on a daily basis.
One of the staff on duty at the site said the number of bodies cremated at the place has also increased after the Swargadwar in Puri was made out of bounds for non-Puri residents owing to the COVID situation. Satya Nagar crematorium continues to be the city's lone crematorium for COVID-19 victims. It also has a space earmarked for cremation of bodies of non-COVID patients.
In view of the Covid situation last year, the BMC had announced plans to make two more crematoriums functional at Patia and Khandagiri. However, the officials in charge of cremating bodies of Covid victims and suspects said the new crematoriums are yet to be made functional.
The lone electric burner at Satya Nagar crematorium is proving insufficient to deal with the situation for which 14 additional crematoria beds have been created on the premises. During the first wave of Covid-19 last year, the number of crematoria beds was eight.
While the crematorium last year had two staff to perform the cremations of COVID deceased, three more persons have been engaged this time with the situation worsening. Municipal Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary said the crematorium at Patia will be started within two to three weeks after installation of the electric burner is completed.