‘High number of deaths’: Open cremation grounds set up in 3 Gujarat villages

The Vadodara district administration has set up temporary open cremation grounds in three villages to conduct cremations of Covid-19 positive and suspected deaths faster.

The District Development Officer (DDO) said that the administration has set up temporary crematoriums in government lands at Kotali, Ankhol, and Piparya villages.

At one such open cremation ground in Pipariya, five pyres were functional early on Thursday when The Indian Express visited the spot. Heavily guarded by police, entry has been restricted to ambulances bringing in the bodies and accompanying relatives. Police officers on duty said they were “under orders” to prevent access to any other persons. At Kotali and Ankhol, the cremation grounds have about three pyres each.

DDO Kiran Zaveri said, “There are 1000-bed Covid-19 government facilities each at Dhiraj hospital and Parul hospital, Pioneer Institute and Dhavalba Ayurvedic institute. Deaths also happen at other hospitals as far as Dabhoi taluka… The need was felt to have multiple cremation grounds to ease the load and ensure a faster process. The Pipariya cremation ground is helping manage deaths from Parul and Dhiraj hospitals… The original crematorium is located inside a village and so we have taken into consideration the sentiments of the people…”

As per the Vadodara administration, the official Covid-19 toll since March 2020 is at 435, with 11 deaths on Thursday. These do not include the deaths of Covid-19 positive patients, who have been found to have died due to pre-existing comorbidity as well as deaths of suspected patients and those from other parts of the state or country.