11 September,2020 07:19 AM IST | Mumbai | Anurag Kamble, Bakulesh Trivedi
The electric furnace is defunct
OR three weeks now the electric chamber of Ghatkopar's Hindu Crematorium has been lying defunct leading to long queues outside, as people have to wait for four hours to conduct last rites.
Though the number of COVID bodies arriving at the crematorium has gone down, the dependency on wood has kept the waiting periods long.
The Ghatkopar Hindu Smashanbhumi Committee manages the crematorium, which is located in the Rajawadi area of Ghatkopar East.
According to sources, even a couple of months back, about 35-38 bodies used to reach the unit on a daily basis for cremation.
ALSO READ
Ganeshotsav 2024: Versova-Ghatkopar Mumbai Metro line extends timings
Mumbai: Pet shop owner gets paid after mid-day report
Mumbai: Exotic pet shop owner claims NCP-SP leader owes him Rs 2 lakh
Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: After God, hoarding accused blames netas
August 2003 Mumbai Bombings: A look into what happened on Aug 26
At that time both the electric chamber as well as wood were being used for burning bodies. But, since the past three weeks, all of it is being done using wood.
"We have been told that the electric furnace is not working and hence, wood is being used for cremation. It takes around three to four hours to complete the last rites of each person, so others have to wait for almost five hours," said a man waiting in the queue outside the crematorium.
The centre is now receiving about 10 to 15 bodies each day for last rites.
Nimish Timadiya, secretary of the committee running the crematorium said, "The problem started about 20 days back. Burning of COVID bodies clogged the electric chamber, which needs maintenance.
Also Read: Mumbai Crime: Chain-snatchers leave Ghatkopar woman with cracked skull
"Even the technicians of the company which does the maintenance work are battling with COVID-19. We are in touch with the BMC to get this repaired soon. We are trying our best to bring down the waiting time, but many people are getting inconvenienced and we are sorry for that.
"The load is slightly less now as COVID deaths have reduced, but we hope to repair the chamber soon." Timadiya added.
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.
Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news
