The Faqeer Mullah graveyard in Balapur, which is a designated Muslim burial space for COVID-19 bodies, is witnessing a gradual increase in the number of burials. According to those who work there, there have been at least 14 burials in the past four days.
‘16 burials in 4 days’
“In just four days, there have been 16 burials of coronavirus patients,” a worker who keeps track of the number of bodies arriving, and burials, at the graveyard said.
A little over a month ago, he says, the number of bodies reaching the ground was fewer.
“Lets say, more than a month ago, there used to be one or two COVID bodies per week which used to come here for burials. Most of the bodies come from corporate or private hospitals,” he says.
Other like Syed Jalaluddin Zafar, from Youth Welfare Telangana, an organisation which has been burying bodies of those who succumbed to due the coronavirus since the pandemic broke out last year, much like those at Faqeer Mullah graveyard, pointed out that the number of requests for burial of bodies over a month-and-a-half has increased.
“We buried nine bodies on Friday. Sometimes, the number of bodies we bury are four, or five, or six every day. Unlike now, there was a lull a few weeks ago. A vast majority of the bodies we bury are released largely from private hospitals. Nearly two months ago, the situation was not as serious. The bodies we buried were fewer. We are worried over what is happening now. People should be careful,” he said, adding that those who insist on the ghusl (final wash) make burial difficult as the ulama have also stated that given the pandemic and the risk involved, it is not mandatory.
Second wave
Those in the know, such as public representatives, and those working in graveyards made it clear that for the past few months, other Muslim burial spaces have permitted burials of COVID-19 patients. This was not the case in the first wave of the pandemic last year.
A member of the Telangana State Waqf Board, under whose purview Muslim burial grave spaces come, and who has served several terms, said that while there has been an increase in the number of deaths, as of no, there is no great cause for concern in terms of paucity of burial spaces.
“Thankfully, at the moment, there is no reason to say that the bodies are piling up, like in other states which are being shown in media reports. But one must always follow precautionary measures,” he said.