‘Taking steps to avoid piling up of bodies at mortuaries’

Delhi government informs High Court

The Delhi High Court was on Friday informed by the Delhi government that it was taking urgent steps, including extending the timings of crematoriums, for cremating those who have died due to COVID-19, to avoid piling up of bodies at mortuaries.

The Delhi government also said that Lok Nayak Hospital has been authorised to divert bodies to crematoriums at Panchkuian and Punjab Bagh, as opposed to the earlier norm of sending them to Nigambodh Ghat only.

It further said that 28 bodies were disposed of on Thursday and by Saturday the remaining 35 bodies will be cremated. Only those bodies will be retained where post-mortem or investigations are to be carried out.

A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal which initiated the case suo moto, said that this situation should not be repeated. It also asked the Delhi government and the civic bodies to submit a status report by the next date of hearing on June 2.

The High Court had taken note of newspaper reports on lack of facilities to cremate those who died due to COVID-19 and the bodies piling up in the mortuaries on Thursday.

During the hearing, the Delhi government submitted that the situation was a “result of unavoidable circumstances”, some of which include reduced capacity of Nigambodh Ghat to handle bodies, on account of snags in furnaces. Other reasons include workers at crematorium refusing to handle bodies of COVID-19 patients, sudden spike in cases and related deaths in Delhi and relatives refusing to come forward to claim bodies.

Delhi government Additional Standing Counsel Sanjoy Ghose said the government has now authorised wood pyre traditional cremations in addition to electric and CNG furnaces, providing personal protection kits for all workers at crematorium and bodies and the working hours of crematoriums are extended to 7 a.m. to 10 PM from existing 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.