Ahmedabad recorded 145% jump in cremations in May

AHMEDABAD: Pictures of queues outside crematoriums in the city that went viral on social media during Covid-19 lockdown may have been symbolic of a silent mayhem of death in the city. As compared to May 2019, Ahmedabad recorded an alarming 145% jump in the number of dead cremated at 24 city crematoriums in May this year. The trend has continued in June as 3,380 cremations took place till June 18 this year as compared to 2,523 cremations in the entire month in 2019.
The data, shared by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) in reply to an RTI application made by activist Pankaj Bhatt of Kalupur, is an indication that loss of lives was much higher this year even if one factors in deaths due to Covid-19 and a maximum 12% rise in deaths expected by AMC year on year.

A back of the envelope calculation reveals that 2,504 people were cremated across shamshan gruhs in May 2019. In contrast, last rites of 6,147 people were performed in the city crematoriums in May 2020 when Covid-related lockdown was firmly in place.
Fear of Covid may have claimed more lives
This is 3,643 more cremations than last year. Now even if one adds the 666 Covid-19 deaths recorded in May in AMC limits and 300 deaths as per 12% annual rise in average deaths expected, the city still witnessed 2,677 more cremations.
It is noteworthy here that this number is not indicative of the total number of deaths that may have taken place in the city as it does not even include the data of the dead buried in seven-odd burial grounds in the city.
So what may have caused such a sudden spike in cremations? Experts say that more than Covid, the fear of Covid may have claimed more lives. Medical fraternity is rife with instances where people with heart, diabetes, kidney and other medical complications avoided or delayed coming to hospitals for the fear of contracting corona leading to more deaths.