ONGOLE: Residents of Timmanapalem, Yerrubalem and Annangi villages in Prakasam district continued to prevent the last rites of Covid-19 victims. They have begun patrolling the National Highway-16 and proposed locations for burial/cremation despite repeated efforts by the district administration to spread awareness among them. Ongole revenue divisional officer M Prabhakara Reddy, DSP KVVNV Prasad and local officials, in a recent meeting with the village elders, requested them to allow the last rites as the bodies don’t pose a risk after a patient has been dead for more than six hours, as has been stated by health experts. However, all their efforts went in vain as the locals denied them bluntly.
“In the recent meeting, we (the villagers) conveyed our disagreement with the officials. We are living in fear due to the spike in the toll and overall cases and, thus, want to protect our villages. We are going to continue patrolling the proposed burial/cremation sites as well as the entrance points on NH-16 in shifts,” a local from Annangi told TNIE on Monday.
Commenting on the development, RDO M Prabhakara Reddy said that: “It is very unfortunate that villagers are not allowing the last rites of Covid-19 victims. The experts and doctors all are of the opinion that the virus in a victim does not pose a threat after six hours of death. Disinfection measures being taken as per the protocol narrows the chance of getting infected even further. It is only their (the villagers) ignorance and lack of knowledge,” the RDO observed. On the alternative arrangements, the official said the administration was mulling constructing an electric crematorium so that there is a permanent solution to the issue. “We have sent proposals for establishing an electric crematorium with an estimated `1.75 crore,” he added.
Electric crematorium
RDO M Prabhakara Reddy said the administration was mulling constructing an electric crematorium so that there is a permanent solution to the issue. “We have sent proposals for establishing an electric crematorium with an estimated `1.75 crore,” he added.