“For this week, Covid 19 deaths have increased. Today (Friday) we have nine cases” says Govindankutty, the supervisor of an Electrical Crematorium in Chandranagar, Palakkad. This Crematorium in Chandranagar is run by Grama Panchayat. As new cases and casualties increase day by day in Kerala, the state might be going to witness a miserable situation in crematoriums.
“This Panchayat charges 1,700 for a cremation. It is comparatively cheaper. Panchayat runs this on the basis of charity”, Govindankutty points out. He also says that several private facilities are charging more and they run on business.
Gas crematoriums are feasible than Electrical Crematoriums. And Electric Cremations are cheaper than ordinary cremation. In October 2019, Kerala Government had planned to establish more than hundred Electric and Gas crematoriums throughout the state. Many of them are under facilitation. Yet it will not be enough if the situation goes like happened many of the northern parts of the country.
In Thiruvananthapuram, the Kerala Human Rights Commission on Thursday had sought an urgent report from the district administration on the need to make temporary arrangements at crematoriums here for the timely cremation of bodies, including the COVID-19 victims.
“One of two furnaces in this crematorium is under maintenance works. In Kerala, we do not have repair facilities of Electric furnaces. We are waiting for people from Bengaluru to come.” Govindankutty is hopeful that the furnace will be repaired in a week.
It takes forty minutes for cremating a body. With just one furnace, “we will not be able to manage if the situation worsens ahead.” Govindankutty is of the opinion that people should be aware of these situations.
In Ivor Madam cremation ground, one of the busiest in Kerala, the managers say that wood supply became a critical problem. Facilitating adequate firewood is a challenging issue as the cases are increasing, Mint reports Korappath Ramesh, the supervisor in Ivor Madham crematorium. “It takes around half a tonne of firewood for cremation. Three logs in a row can make the length of the pyre and another three the width. The selection of the logs is crucial.” Ramesh says.
As monsoon on the way in the state the availability of firewood would be decreasing.
