ITO graveyard to stop Covid burials

NEW DELHI: Amid an unprecedented surge in Covid fatalities, Delhi’s biggest burial ground at ITO has run out of space to bury those dying of the infection and may not take in more bodies from Sunday, graveyard officials have said. Since April first week, when cases started rising, the burial ground has accommodated around 230 bodies.

Though there are other burial grounds in Mangolpuri, Madanpur Khadar, Okhla and Shastri Park, which are also being used for burying Covid-19 victims, the Ahle-islam Qabristan at ITO takes in the maximum load of Covid and non-covid deaths.

At the ITO cemetery, a nearly three-acre plot was set aside last year when the pandemic broke out for burying those dying of Covid. Since March, the graveyard has seen at least 1,200 Covid-related burials, officials said.

Covid fatalities have increased rapidly in the last three weeks. In January, Delhi reported an average of 10 deaths daily, which reduced to 2 in February and 4 in March. The average daily deaths is 109 this month.

Mohammad Shamim, supervisor of the burial ground, said, “We have completely run out of space... We will not be able to take Covid bodies from Sunday... So, we have written a letter to the Delhi Waqf Board and government officials to allot space in other areas for Covid burials.”

Delhi Waqf Board is the custodian of most graveyards in Delhi.

Arshad Ali Fehmi, member of the 10-member managing committee of the ITO graveyard, said, “We have been writing to multiple agencies asking for another land... At ITO, we have run out of space...”

Graveyard officials have also requested authorities to send Covid bodies to other graveyards in Rohini, Dwarka, Nizamuddin and Seelampur. “Before Covid, we used to get around 8-10 bodies every day. But now, we are getting nearly 50 bodies on an average...,” said Fehmi.

Delhi Waqf Board chairman Amanatullah Khan said they have not received any letter from the officials running the ITO burial ground. “We will make arrangements, if they approach us,” he said.

Jai Prakash, mayor of North MCD, said they wrote to the Delhi Waqf Board earlier this month. “We asked them to identify land for burial but nothing has happened on that front so far. We have increased around 300 platforms for Covid cases in multiple cremation grounds...,” the mayor said.