Mumbai: The second wave of coronavirus is creating havoc all across Maharashtra, with daily 50,000 fresh cases and nearly 900 deaths recorded.
The situation becomes more critical when patients need to wait for hours to get a bed in the hospital and bodies pile up outside the crematorium.
Notably, dying with Covid has become more expensive than surviving the Coranavirus as materials used to cremate the bodies including firewoods are being sold at a very high price. The expenses for performing the last rites of covid patients has risen by almost 20 per cent.
Kolhapur having a huge stock of firewood
At least 700 patients have died due to coronavirus in Kolhapur since April 1 and this has put a lot of strain on the Panchganga crematoriums of the city. As per authorities, there is enough stock of firewood and cow dung available for cremations but if the number of deaths surge then the crematoriums might face a shortage. With the forthcoming rainy season, the Municipal Corporation also needs to build up stocks.
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The administration has also appealed for cow dung for the funerals.
The gas crematorium at Panchganga is equally burdened as nearly eight bodies are being cremated daily.
IAccording to an estimate, the crematorium needs about 600 tonnes of firewood and more than 25 lakh cow dung each year.
In Aurangabad, firewood has become expensive
In Aurangabad, firewood has become more expensive as a result, the expenses incurred in performing the last rites has risen by almost 20 per cent. After expensive treatment for covid, now the cremation process has become overpriced as the cost of resources and materials used are sky-touching.
Firewood price was Rs 400 per quintal a few months back but now it is being sold at nearly Rs 700 per quintal.
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The cost of transportation of wood at the crematorium is Rs 400. Excluding the charges of cow-dung and diesel, the total cost of cremation goes up to Rs 3,000.
Overcharged firewood in Pune
Covid is causing 80 to 90 deaths daily in Pune since last month. The bodies are being cremated at Kailas crematorium Yerawada crematorium, Vaikuntha crematorium. Due to the increase in the number of deaths, electric cremators are also considered as an option for cremation in the city following which the price of firewood has also increased significantly.
Enough firewood stock in Nashik
With a constant lack of materials for cremations in Nashik amid a rapid increase in the number of Covid deaths, Yashwantrao Chavan Open University came forward to donate firewood to the administration through the Corporate Social Responsibility fund.
There are 17 cemeteries in Nashik including 80 shelters, two electric and one gas crematorium.
The Eklahare Thermal Power Station also indicated its willingness to supply coal in case of a shortage of firewood.
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