5 new cremation sites in 10 days: NrDMC

New Delhi: Despite bodies piling up at crematoria and burial grounds across the city, and authorities having to find makeshift places for cremations, North Delhi mayor Jai Prakash claimed that the situation in Delhi would have been worse if not for the MCDs' interventions.

Jai Prakash said on Friday, "the situation in Delhi would have been much worse if the Municipal Corporation has not stepped up and handled the situation", referring to efforts to add cremation space and hospital beds.

But doctors at Hindu Rao Hospital have gone on record to say that not even a single ICU bed is available for the general public currently and no admissions are allowed unless personally vetted by Medical Superintendent Anu Kapoor. North MCD officials have also confirmed that doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitation workers, safai karamcharis have only received their salaries for February, even though most if not all have actively been working in frontline roles — all pointing towards how the MCD is also buckling under the fourth wave here.

The Municipal Corporation has also expanded cremation sites, with the North MCD Mayor saying that five new sites have been constructed by North MCD in the last 10 days alone since "deaths have gone up only in the last 10-12 days". These cremation sites are in Mangolpuri, Paschim Vihar, Yamuna Ghat, Sarai Kale Khan and Inderpuri, while sites at Panchkuian, Wazirpur and Nigam Bodh Ghat have been expanded. However, waiting times continue at these crematoria.

Speaking about the Municipal Corporation's demand for wood, ambulances and hearse vans from the Delhi Government, Jai Prakash said that no funds for the same have been released yet. "They told us to hire hearse vans for the time being and our expenses will be reimbursed. But currently hearse vans are required because it is the only way to carry bodies of people dying at home to cremation or burial sites. Those who die at hospitals are still being transported in ambulances".

As for wood, South MCD Mayor Anamika Mithilesh Singh said, "South MCD has enough firewood, about 10,000 quintal for cremations, so we don't have a shortage. To cremate one dead body, one needs about 4 quintal wood and we are receiving approximately 300 dead bodies a day". Likewise, we have a sufficient number of ambulance and hearse carts, she added.

However, North MCD is trying to procure wood from NHAI (National Highway Authority of India), UP Forest Department, dry trees from MCD-parks and loga made of gobar and parali as well.