Delhi: Buffer stocks of wood at ghats as Covid-19 deaths mount

NEW DELHI: With the number of Covid deaths on the rise, the city’s crematoria are creating buffer stock of wood to meet the increased demand. The cremation grounds at Nigambodh Ghat and Punjabi Bagh — which handle the bulk of Covid-protocol funerals — have stockpiles now to deal with the growing number of the specially designated final rites. Nigambodh Ghat has 8,000 quintals of wood, while Punjabi Bagh has 5,000 quintals wood. An official at the latter facility said that another 4,000 quintals are at hand to replenish the stock.
Each traditional cremation consumes 4-5 quintals of wood.Both these crematoria are also equipped with CNG furnaces. A civic official said that much of the wood for pyres in Delhi comes from the Garhganga-Hasanpur belt in Uttar Pradesh. “Yes, our supply may be impacted if Covid cases continue to rise in that belt,” admitted the official. “So, we are keeping a close eye on the supply chain.”
Officials of the NGO managing the Nigambodh Ghat facility said that there were 120 pyre platforms there, with around 110 used daily. “On Wednesday, 107 bodies were cremated, of which 34 were of Covid patients. We had 46 Covid bodies on Thursday and the number is steadily rising. We have to manage the non-Covid cremations too,” one official said.
The number of last rites performed at Nigambodh Ghat has risen steadily, from 78 (24 Covid) on April 11 to 89 (22 Covid) a day later. ON April 13, there were 99 cremations 107 on April 14.
The NGO official said that adequate wood stocks had been provisioned for 2,000 cremations, while a crematorium manager added, “Our wood warehouse is full and the contractors are regularly replenishing the stock. A direct CNG line is available for the six gas furnaces.” The CNG furnaces can take care of four bodies a day, while the traditional pyre platform is used for one body per day.
A civic official said wood is stocked before the monsoons to take advantage of the availability of dry firewood. “Some cremation grounds faced problems in procuring wood during the lockdown last year. We are trying to take adequate precautions this year to avoid such problems,” the official said.
EDMC has so far carried out a total of 1,958 Covid cremations. EDMC mayor Nirmal Jain said that one CNG unit would be kept aside for Covid bodies at Karkardooma cremation ground from Monday.