Protest, road blockade in Baripada

BARIPADA: As the stigma and dread associated with coronavirus continues to prevail, cremation of deceased Covid-19 patients near human habitations has evoked opposition from locals. On Sunday, hundreds of residents of Ward No-22 of Baripada Municipality and Indapahi village within Laxmiposi panchayat halted and vandalised a Mahaprayan vehicle in front of Mahila Khadan here. 

The agitators blocked the Baripada-Kostha road for several hours as they demanded immediate end to cremation of infected people near the residential area over safety concerns.Sources said, members of two self-help-groups (SHGs) who work in the septage treatment plant close to Mahila Khadan also took part in the agitation citing that the stench of the burnt bodies entered their workplaces and made it unbearable for them.

The enraged protestors detained the vehicle carrying the body of a Covid patient and damaged its front and rear windows forcing the driver to steer away from the crematorium. This not only held up the cremation from 12.20 pm till 6 pm, the road blockade disrupted traffic movement until SP Parmar Smit Parshottamdas and other officials intervened. The protest was called off after assurance that the latter would take up the matter with the Collector.

The outrage came after the district administration failed to meet the locals’ demands to cremate Covid-infected bodies at Mahila Khadan - in vicinity of Raghunathpur - only at night. Despite the Collector’s assurance on Thursday, around six to seven bodies have been cremated in last two days, and that too in the presence of police personnel. Meanwhile, Collector Vineet Bharadwaj has reassured that the issue will be addressed at the earliest.