SURAT: After expanding boundaries of the three major
crematoriums in the city and setting up new infrastructures so as to facilitate the last rites, the civic authorities have now been forced to put in use three more crematoriums due to alarming rise in Covid-19 deaths.
The crematoriums at Pal, Limbayat and Mota
Varachha were not operational for many years for lack of facilities. The three crematoriums are run by trusts and none have
cremation furnaces.
At Pal crematorium, an open ground is available where 15 bodies were cremated during early hours on Monday. “It is a big ground and to reduce the waiting period for cremation we have developed the facilities here. Multiple cremations are possible here,” said former city BJP president Nitin Bhajiyawala, who is working as a volunteer at the crematorium.
Pravin Patel, former BJP municipal councillor, said, “The crematorium was not in use for the past 10 years but it is required to be used in the current situation. At present we are cremating only Covid-19 bodies here.”
In Limbayat, the old crematorium was not preferred by people since it is on the bank of a rivulet and not a river. “It has two stands for wooden pyre and three more are being installed,” said a
Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) official.
At
Mota Varachha a traditional crematorium with one stand for wooden pyre is being used for non-covid bodies.
“The trust running the crematorium has been asked to arrange for staff to assist people performing the last rites,” said an SMC official.
In Varachha area SMC staff is assisting in cremating bodies at the neighbouring village of Kathore. Due to the high number of deaths many videos of the queue at crematoriums went viral recently.