With the sole crematorium located in its vicinity overburdened and forced to function beyond capacity over the last 11 days, another facility intended to be the Capital’s first funeral venue for pet animals will be utilised for the last rites of COVID-19 patients.
This is despite the capacity of the Dwarka Sector-24 crematorium having been more than doubled — increased by 140% to be exact — between April 19 and April 29 and witnessed the last rites of over 400 people, who lost their lives to the virus.
More to come up
Five dozen funeral pyres have been constructed so far while more will spring up in a matter of time at the dog crematorium, which was being constructed by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on a parcel of land spread across an estimated four acres in Dwarka’s Sector-29. It was proposed as a pet crematorium by the South civic body last year.
“We have constructed 60 pyres so far at the facility. The situation related to COVID-19 deaths and the sudden surge in their numbers in the national capital is rather dynamic and needs to be addressed on a daily basis. More platforms will be built as and when the need to create them is felt,” SDMC Mayor Anamika Mithilesh Singh said.
The Dwarka Sector-24 cremation ground nearby has witnessed the cremation of 413 bodies between April 19 and April 29, according to data recorded by the South civic body. Beginning with a dedicated capacity of just 20 on April 19, the capacity was increased to 23 on April 20, reached 32 on April 22, and, finally, 44 on April 26.
According to records compiled by the three civic bodies the last rites of 5,808 people took place over the last 11 days and 2,651 of these were at the nine funeral venues under the South civic body.
