Amid spiralling cases of Covid-19, and shortage of oxygen cylinders, remdesivir injections and hospital beds in Bhopal, a rise in the overall number of deaths has weighed down graveyards and funeral grounds while leaving residents and authorities worried. Critics say the government data of deaths is much lower than the figures emerging from cemeteries and crematoriums. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, however, told News18 that mortality figures reflect in government data after 2-3 days following an audit, so on-the-spot cremations will always be higher. “I am personally warning the public about Covid-19 hazards, so there is no question of hiding anything. It’s all rubbish,” said Chouhan.
Bhopal on Thursday reported 1,637 fresh daily cases while that figure for Madhya Pradesh was 10,166. The total number of active cases in the state surged to 55,694. Bhopal city is under corona curfew from April 12, 9pm to April 19, 6am.
Bhopal residents say the deaths all around have brought back chilling memories of the 1984 gas tragedy when the city had piles of bodies after toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a Union Carbide plant.
The three Covid-19 dedicated burial grounds and crematoriums in the city on Wednesday alone reported 121 deaths. However, the government health bulletin showed only four coronavirus-related mortalities in Bhopal.
Health minister Dr Prabhuram Chaudhary and medical education minister Vishwas Sarang too backed the CM’s remarks.
On Tuesday, the city recorded 58 last rites at the Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat, 28 at the Subhas Nagar crematorium and nine at the Jhada burial ground.
Similarly, from April 8 to 12, only 11 had died of coronavirus infection in the city, according to government data, while Covid-dedicated facilities performed the last rites of 266 people in this period.
State Congress spokesperson KK Mishra asked “why the head of the government and his inefficient bureaucrats are still on their posts despite hiding death figures, underreporting infections, unavailability of oxygen, remdesivir injections and other things”.
Crematoriums and burial grounds in Bhopal are hard-pressed for space, equipment and manpower.
According to Arun Chaudhary, head of the Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat committee, the land adjoining the crematorium has been levelled to make additional room as there was only space to accommodate 18-20 bodies at the facility. Chaudhary said the staff has been working relentlessly to handle a surge in the influx of bodies.
Some locals, though, have alleged gross mismanagement at the crematorium.
Mahesh Sahu, a resident of Ashoka Garden in Bhopal, said his sister Geeta Devi (60) died on Sunday at a private hospital due to Covid-19 though she had no comorbidities. “The hospital gave us the body which was taken to Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat where we had to arrange for the last rites personally as the workers were busy,” said Sahu, who maintained that the family arranged wood lying at some distance, found space for the last rites, and was only given two PPE kits.
The crematoriums are also facing a shortage of wood as the number of bodies reaching there is almost ten times the usual figure, say sources. With three-four quintals of wood required per body, Bhadbhada Vishramghat is having to arrange 25-30 quintals a day and is coming up short, locals say.
The burial grounds in the city are also struggling for space and manpower, and bereaved families are having to wait for hours.
“My cousin Md Nafees died of high sugar and other issues at 4am on Thursday but the Bada Bagh burial ground asked us to reach there by 1pm due to heavy rush,” social worker Shahwez Sikander told News18. He said hearse vans and ambulances too are hard to find and locals are forced to use two-wheelers or cars to transport bodies.
Several cemeteries have written to the district collector, asking for additional land.
The situation in Jabalpur and Indore is not very different. The Jabalpur administration reported six deaths in the city on Wednesday due to Covid-19 while Chauhani Ghat alone saw 40 bodies cremated.
Indore crematoriums are also flooded with bodies and people are forced to perform last rites even after sunset, going against religious norms. Bereaved families say they are finding it difficult to collect the ashes on the third day of cremation in accordance with Hindu tradition, and also locals aren’t allowed to cross the city’s borders to approach nearby rivers for immersion of the remains.
Read all the Latest News and Breaking News here