Packed, Rohtak crematoriums face wood crunch

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, April 29

Amid a spike in Covid deaths, crematoriums in the city are facing an acute shortage of wood, following which prices have risen by up to 25 per cent.

Suppliers selling it at higher rate in NCR

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Instead of local sale, contractors are selling wood at much higher rates in Delhi and Gurugram. —  Surendra Batra, Ram Bagh cremation ground

Surendra Batra, vice president, Ram Bagh Cremation Ground, said: “More than 15 bodies are being cremated here daily. The demand for wood has gone up three-fold. The contractors are preferring to sell wood at much higher rates in Delhi and Gurugram. We are struggling to arrange supplies here.”

He said while they had been paying Rs 500 per quintal for wood, the contractors were now demanding Rs 625-650 per quintal. “Even at this price the supply is limited. The families will have to arrange wood on their own if the issue is not resolved soon,” he said.

The district administration has directed the forest officer to halt the auction of wood and create buffer stock so as to avoid inconvenience to people at crematoriums.

Manoj Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, said: “The second Covid wave is more intense. The number of deaths is high. It is the duty of the DFOs to provide wood in sufficient quantity to the corporation authorities.” He directed the MC Commissioner to earmark more cremation grounds in addition to two at present for Covid victims.