NEW DELHI: With municipal-run crematoriums facing a shortage of wood for funeral pyres in the face of surging Covid-19 fatalities, North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash Wednesday urged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to direct the forest department ensure smooth supply of firewood to these facilities.
The national capital has reported 4,063 Covid-19 deaths in April so far, over 2,500 of them in the past seven days alone in the terrorising second wave of the pandemic.
In all of February, the death toll was 57, and in March 117.
"As you are aware that the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is on the rise and to cremate the bodies in the traditional manner a large amount of wood is required. "This is to request you to direct the forest department to ensure steady supply of firewood to these crematoriums without fail," Prakash said in his letter to Kejriwal.
As Covid-19 wreaks havoc, there is a queue not just at the hospitals, but also at crematoriums.
Such is the flow of the bodies that crematoriums have started building additional platforms to accommodate them.
Prakash added in his letter, "Kindly give appropriate directions to the forest department so that the crematoriums can continue doing their work uninterrupted and the bereaved families are not put into any kind of trouble.
" Shaking Delhi's spirit and soul, an unimaginable tragedy is unfolding at Delhi's crematoriums struggling to cope with the deluge of the dead arriving at frightening pace, prompting the staff at crematoriums to start building additional platforms to accommodate them.
Delhi recorded a record 381 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, while the positivity rate stood at 32.72 per cent, according to the latest bulletin issued by the city health department.
This was the sixth day on the trot that Delhi has recorded over 300 deaths due to coronavirus.