Electric furnaces at Nimtala to stay shut for non-Covid bodies till Tuesday morning

KOLKATA: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will keep the electric furnaces at Nimtala crematorium shut for non-Covid bodies from Sunday (May 9) till 6 am on Tuesday (May 11). However, the three wooden furnaces will remain functional.

At present, there are 10 electric furnaces at Nimtala crematorium out of which 4 are being used for Covid bodies and the remaining ones for non-Covid bodies. Considering the tremendous strain on the furnaces due to the Covid bodies, KMC has decided to divert another two electric furnaces for disposal of Covid bodies and keep the other four for non-Covid bodies.

"The switch over process will require some infrastructural upgradation for which we have to close down the electric furnaces for 48 hours," an official in KMC's Health department said.

The KMC has appealed to the citizens to use the Ratan Babur Ghat crematorium and the Keoratala crematorium in South Kolkata for disposal of non-Covid bodies on these two days.

With the daily Covid fatalities on the rise, the civic body has already augmented its crematorium infrastructure. Presently, apart from four at Nimtala, six furnaces at Dhapa, 2 at Birjunala, one at Siriti near Behala and the Garia Mahasasan (from 12 night to 5 am) are being used for last rites of Covid victims.

In its effort to augment the infrastructure for quick disposal of Covid bodies, KMC has also identified a land near Basanti Highway where it will soon come up with a temporary burial ground.

Tender has been floated for setting up a crematorium at Bhatchala near Zinzira Bazar in South 24-Parganas but the process will take at least six months.