Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Apr 7: Last year, when the deaths due to Covid-19 were on the rise, expenses of cremation of those who died due to the pandemic was too high due to PPE kit and personnel. DC Dr K V Rajendra had ordered to hold cremation free of cost during that time.

MCC has paid Rs 28 lac for the cremation of people who died of Covid-19. For every cremation, MCC paid Rs 5500 to the personnel. So far a total amount of Rs 28,32,500 has been paid for cremating 515 dead bodies. This information was given by Dr A Manjiah Shetty, health officer of MCC.

After April 27, 2021, cremation of Hindus, who died due to Covid-19 has been carried out free of cost. In total, 1850 people died in the district due to the pandemic. In 2020, when the first Covid-19 infected woman died, her body was not allowed by the public to be cremated in the cemetery. After taking the body to various crematoria, the final rites were done in Bantwal.

After creating awareness, the dead bodies were cremated at the electrical crematorium of Boloor. Later, the same started in Nandigudda crematorium. So far, on an average everyday 10 to 12 bodies were cremated.

Most of the burials of Muslims in many districts of Karnataka was done by PFI. It spent Rs 8,000 per burial.

“Financially poor and middle-class families were finding it difficult to conduct final rites of their family members who died of Covid-19. As MCC was paying, we used to cremate the bodies free of cost. From February 20, we have not received any dead bodies that were infected by Covid-19,” said Sudesh Poojary of Nandigudda Hindu crematorium.