Mumbai: COVID-19 bodies to be buried at Qabristan meant for other deceased?

Vasai Virar City Municipal Commissioner D Gangatharan issued a verbal order on Monday allowing the use of graveyards meant to bury nonCOVID victims for those felled by the virus The directive came after a handful of people from the Muslim community met the civic chief expressing concerns over lack of space for the victims of CoronavirusAMC Premsing Jadhav is in charge of disposing of COVID bodies PicsHanif PatelldquoAfter the onset of pandemic a special area was carved out at cemeteries to bury COVID bodies But now all such special areas are full and we are facing a lot of problems in burying COVID bodies So we met the commissioner who assured us to resolve the issuerdquo said Fazle Haque QureshiAssistant Municipal Commissioner VVCMC Premsing Jadhav said the directive was as per norms ldquoNow COVID bodies can be cremated anywhere in Qabristan if the special area carved out for burying it is full The commissioner has passed keeping the COVID guidelines in mindrdquo Jadhav told middayAbout the possibility of infection spreading because of the bodies Jadhav said ldquoWhen a person dies of COVID19 infection it is wrapped in a plastic bag on which disinfectant is sprayed How can infection spread if disinfectant is sprayed on the plastic bag under which the COVID body is wrappedrdquo ldquoOnce the body is buried no amount of COVID virus will spread This is what I thinkrdquo said Jadhav who has been given the charge to dispose of COVID bodiesDeputy Municipal Commissioner Kishore Gavas differed He said ldquoI donrsquot know if such an order has been passed or not but if it is true the infection will further spreadhellipPremsing Jadhav is the correct person to comment on such orderrdquoThis reporter visited Jama Masjid Papdi Qabristan in Vasai where about 7500 sqft has been separated with tin sheets to bury only COVID muslim bodies ldquoAll the area is fully occupied now We are facing a problem in burying fresh COVID bodies in Vasai Virar and Nalasopara I called Jadhav who told me that we can now bury the body anywhere in the Qabristan but it will be dangerousrdquo said Naim Nakid of Jama Masjid Trust which is registered under Wakf Board of MaharashtraNakid said the Qabristan at Vasai Gaon is full The one at Sativali will also run short of space soon he saidAMC Jadhav said at least 8 to 10 Muslim COVID bodies are cremated every week He said once the second wave subsides the problem of space crunch will be resolvedUsman Khan of United Welfare said ldquoThe commissioner must take a wise decision because if we bury COVID bodies anywhere in Qabristan it will be devastatingrdquoQureshi wondered why VVCMC is not allowing Sun City Ground for burial ldquoIt is huge and can solve the problem of VasaiVirarNalasopara We requested the civic chief regarding the same and he said he will seerdquo said Qureshi Jadhav said the Sun City ground is caught up in some legal tangleCalls and messages sent to VVCMC Commissioner D Gangatharan went unanswered