Unclaimed bags of ashes in Gurugram

Sanjay Yadav

Gurugram, May 19

With 60 cremations on an average daily, the local crematoriums are flooded with unclaimed ashes. Over 350 bags of uncollected or unclaimed ashes in crematoriums across the city are yet to be immersed.

Sources said a majority of the cremated were Covid victims whose families were either themselves infected or had not come to claim the ashes fearing infection. With the bags piling up, some of the overburdened crematoriums have now either started immersing the ashes in the Yamuna or handing over these to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG). “We have over 300 bags of ashes which have not yet been collected or claimed. In many cases, we have called up the families on the numbers provided by them, but fearing infection they have refused to come. In some cases we don’t know whom to contact, so we have started immersing the ashes that have been lying here for a month in the Yamuna,” said an employee of Mokshdham crematorium here.

In another crematorium near the IFFCO chowk, a volunteer collects the remains of Covid victims every evening. He places the ashes in bags, which are stored in lockers on the cremation ground premises.

No clear guidelines: Medical officer

It’s a matter of personal choice… it’s between people and crematoriums. Some claim the ashes, others tie up with crematoriums for the immersion. —Dr Asish Singla, MO, MCG

“We don’t have much space, so we can’t store the ashes for long. So far we have no guidelines on how to deal with the situation. We have been handing over the ashes to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram because if we do the immersion ourselves, people could object,” said the volunteer at the Rambagh crematorium in Madanpuri.