NEW DELHI: After Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the city government, the Delhi Police is also keeping tabs on the number of Covid and non-Covid deaths in the burial and cremation grounds located in the city. The objective is to ascertain the ground reality and maintain law and order, said officials.
DCPs of all 15 districts have been directed by the special CPs of their district/zones to collect data on Covid and non-Covid deaths and compile it daily.“There are no written directions, but informally we have been told to keep an eye on the ground reality. This is one of the various initiatives/works being assigned/done by the police as a part of Covid duty,” said an official.
“The aim is to maintain law and order. Although the MCD and Delhi Government collect the daily data, we too have started doing so. We assume if some day a law and order situation arises over a large number of deaths in an area, the data will help,” said a senior official.
A police officer said the data will also help in getting a correct figure because currently, Covid deaths taking place in hospitals are being registered while the people dying in home isolation are not registered at cremation/burial spots. So, Covid and non-Covid deaths have been compiled since May 1.”
The official said, “We have deployed police constables at crematoriums, graveyards and cemeteries. Seniors officers are updated about the data during their morning briefings. The Crime Records Office (CRO) is also collecting such figures.”
The police are conducting special drives to curb black-marketeering of oxygen cylinders, concentrators, Remdesivir injections and other lifesaving drugs. The police have also launched a Covid helpline for the public against the black-marketeering, cyber fraud and ambulances drivers for overcharging.