NEW DELHI: With the national capital witnessing unabated rise Covid deaths, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (North DMC) on Wednesday decided to set up a real-time monitoring system and central control room for cremation grounds.
All crematoriums will be connected to the integrated system, which will facilitate families of Covid patients who have to run from pillar to post for performing the last rites of their loved ones in a dignified manner. The civic body will soon develop an integrated system for the cemeteries also, said an official of the North DMC.
“All small and big crematorium grounds under the jurisdiction of North DMC will be connected to this integrated system. With real-time monitoring system, citizens will be able to get information on how much space is available for cremation in a particular crematorium. Directions have been issued to make a similar integrated system for the graveyards also,” said Jai Prakash, mayor of north Delhi.
The mayor said arrangements have been made to minimise the inconveniences faced by city residents who have to go one place to another to get information about all cremation grounds. Badi Panchayat Vayshya Besey Agarwal organisation, which manages the crematorium at Nigambodh Ghat, has also reserved more platforms for Covid victims’ last rites. At present, 150 podiums are available. Suman Gupta, general secretary of the organisation, said that till Tuesday late evening, nearly 200 funerals took place at the Ghat.
Mashqoor Rashid of Qabristan Ahle Islam, the biggest Muslim graveyard in Delhi at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, said the situation is very bad. “On an average, burials of 18-20 Covid victims are being conducted daily for the past few days. Till Wednesday evening, 20 bodies have been buried,” he said.
Toll mismatch
Meanwhile, the mismatch in death toll between the numbers registered by the Delhi government and the three municipal corporations continued. Delhi government on Tuesday recorded 277 Covid deaths in the last 24 hours, which was the highest since the pandemic broke out in March last year. However, the statistics shared by the three municipal agencies said that 410 funerals had taken place in the city on Tuesday till 6 pm. As Covid deaths are increasing in the city, pressure on resources at cremation grounds too are rising.
Covid victims’ cremation/burial on April 20, 2021 till 6 pm
