The unprecedented spike in Covid-19 fatalities in the city — 100 daily deaths on the last count — has left crematoria across Bengaluru overburdened.
Furnaces that were allowed to burn not more than eight bodies are now forced to take in 25-30 bodies.
The body arrivals at the crematoria have been so overwhelming that the staff say they have not seen their spouses and children for a month. They have no choice but to risk their lives, as families are losing their loved ones to the dreaded virus and are unable to even give the victim a respectful cremation.
As Covid-19 cases surge, citizens are struggling to find a hospital bed to save their family members. The crematoria rush has only added to their woes, as ambulances carrying the bodies are streaming in every hour.
While BBMP officials say the crematoria furnaces can take the load of several bodies and are in great condition, the staff at these locations do not agree.
One of them, preferring anonymity, explains, “We are burning more bodies than the actual capacity of the furnaces. The furnaces are on for close to 24 hours. If they are damaged, we will be forced to send bodies to other crematoria burdening the staff there.”
While the furnaces are working beyond their capacity, so are the crematoria staff.
Thirty-year-old Parashuram, a staff member at the Medina Agrahara crematorium has not seen his wife, two-year-old son and eight-month-old toddler for more than a month now.
Exhausted working for close to 12 hours a day, Parashuram says: “It is an exhausting job, but when you see a family waiting for their loved one to be cremated, our problem seems smaller than theirs.” He and 11 more staff work on 12-hour shifts and keep the crematorium running round-the-clock.
But staying away from family is not even an option for 28-year-old Chandru. He lives with his entire family inside the Kudlu Cremation Centre. Besides Chandru, his wife, sister and his brother-in-law along with two other staff members live and work at the crematorium.
Chandru explains, “We had rented a house a few kilometres away from the crematorium. Ever since the lockdown last year, the house owners feared they would contract the virus since we work here. We did not want to make anyone uncomfortable and decided to move into the crematorium until everything settles.”
Six of them now live in two small rooms here. “We work, eat and sleep inside the crematorium,” he says.