Bathinda crematorium runs out of space

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 1

As Bathinda continues to witness a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths in the second wave, the cremation ground in the city is running out of space.

As the places designated to light the pyre were all occupied, nine patients were consigned to flames on the ground at the overwhelmed grain market crematorium today.

With 53 deaths since April 25, including 15 in the last 24 hours, Bathinda toll is witnessing a huge surge.

Sonu Maheshwari, president, Naujawan Welfare Society, said: “The grain market crematorium, which is the main cremation ground in Bathinda with a capacity of 24 pyres, is running out of space due to the surge in Covid deaths. As many as 19 bodies of Covid patients arrived at the cremation ground today but only 10 were accommodated at the place designated for cremation. The remaining nine were burnt on the ground.”

After the shortage of beds, oxygen and medicines, the shortage of space at cremation ground has now started haunting residents.

Bathinda has also seen a hike in the cases with 6,305 cases in the last 15 days, which is 28 per cent of the total 22,867 cases reported since last year.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today visited the Civil Hospital and several private hospitals in the city and enquired about the arrangements for Covid patients.

He also reviewed the status of availability of oxygen, ventilators and vaccine and directed the authorities concerned to enhance the capacity of oxygen in the district. He reiterated that the state government was fully committed to extending all possible help amid the ongoing health crisis.

He also urged the eligible people to get vaccinated at the earliest besides following the directives of the state government. He said the issues, if any, related to Covid-19 would be sorted out within two weeks.

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