Crematorium at Odisha's Balangir revamped  

BALANGIR: Work on the revamp of the cremation ground near Bijakhaman village in the district began on Monday, a day after public resentment grew over apathy of the administration in dealing with the bodies of Covid patients. 

A tube well, rest shed and electricity have been facilitated at the ground. Soon after locals protested the way the municipal authorities handled Covid bodies, the New Indian Express had published a report highlighting the issues related to cremation of the Covid affected on Sunday. 

Locals complained that bodies were left half-burnt at the crematorium due to lack of sufficient firewood and supervision by the concerned authorities. Video of dogs feasting on dead bodies went viral, drawing the ire of the relatives of the deceased who appealed to the authorities to provide decent burial. 

Earlier, Balangir had one crematorium in Bibhutipara area. The need for another site arose after locals objected to the cremation of Covid victims there.

The administration then identified a new place near Bijakhaman village. Speaking to mediapersons, Collector Chanchal Rana said the district administration is committed to provide dignified cremation to all Covid suspects and confirmed cases, hence revamping of the crematorium is on in full swing.