Cremation of Covid-19 patients in populated area in Odisha sparks protest  

BARIPADA: Irate residents of Laxmiposi and Raghunathpur blocked Kostha-Baripada VIP road for several hours on Wednesday protesting the cremation of a Covid-19 victims at Mahilakhadan situated near a populated area.Vehicular movement from Baripada and Kostha came to a grinding halt from 8 am to 2 pm as the agitators demanded an immediate stop to cremation of infection persons near human settlements.

Former Raghuanthpur chairman of Ward no-22 Raj Sibnarayan Kisku said authorities of Baripada municipality used to cremate bodies of Covid-19 patients in a crematorium near Dargadahi Golei. But since Tuesday, they have cremated five bodies of infected persons in an open place in Mahilakhadan. 

“The stench of burning bodies is causing major inconvenience to locals who are already living in panic due to the pandemic. Besides, municipality staff are leaving half-burnt bodies in the open which poses risk to people living nearby,” Kisku alleged. The municipality should either cremate the bodies in a proper way or shift the crematorium to an isolated place, he added.

Later in the day, Baripada tehsildar Ramchandra Soren along with Town police rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the agitating locals.The residents lifted the blockade after the tehsildar advised them to take up the matter with the local Sub-Collector on Thursday, said Town IIC Birendra Senapati.