Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, Nigambodh Ghat, the biggest cremation facility in the national capital, is likely to get three more CNG-based furnaces from next week, officials said on Saturday. In the last ten days, there were instances when the maximum daily cremation count of COVID-19 victims reached 22, they said.
A total of 210 COVID-19 victims were cremated at the Ghat from November 10 to November 21, said officials of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). Twenty COVID-19 victims were cremated at the cremation facility located along Yamuna river till 5.30 PM on Saturday, they said.
"Elaborate arrangements have been made for safe cremation of bodies of COVID-19 victims and personal protective equipment kits are used by the people engaged in carrying the deceased," said a senior NDMC officer. The corporation has earmarked 52 platforms for cremation on wooden pyres out of the total 104 and three CNG furnaces for cremation of COVID 19 victims.
"Three new CNG furnaces are likely to start from Monday. So six furnaces would be available for cremation altogether. Besides these, there are 13 platforms for cremation on the banks of Yamuna river that can also be used in case of increase in number of bodies," he said. The municipal health officer of North corporation has asked his counterparts in the two other corporations to ensure routing bodies to those cremation grounds with which hospitals in that area are attached, so that Nigambodh Ghat is not overburdened.
The medical superintendents of hospitals engaged in treating COVID-19 patients have also been asked to release bodies at intervals so that there is no rush at cremation ground at one point of time. The corporation has also issued an appeal, asking less number of people to accompany the bodies of COVID-19 victims for cremation as it will help in maintaining social distance. More rush may lead to spread of the virus, officials said.
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