Crematoriums in city increase capacity

Civic bodies here have increased the capacity to cremate bodies from about 45 per day to about 95 per day by allowing the use of wood pyres at five crematoriums, a senior SDMC official said on Friday.

Prior to this, the civic bodies were using only CNG furnaces to dispose of the bodies of COVID-19 patients. A total of seven such furnaces at the Nigambodh Ghat and Punjabi Bagh crematoriums could dispose of 18 and 24 bodies every day respectively, officials said. Apart from this, bodies were also disposed of at burial grounds at Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, Mangolpuri and Madanpur Khadar.

Keeping in view the rise in COVID-19 cases, the civic bodies decided to allow cremation on wood pyres at Punjabi Bagh, Nigambodh Ghat, Panchkuiyan Road, Karkardooma cremation grounds as well as at the Lodhi Road Crematorium, the official said.