Land hunt on to set up burial ground for COVID-19 victims

Tiruvannamalai

The town has at present around 9 burial grounds at various locations and the selected place for COVID-19 cases will be such at that it will not be encroached upon by local residents, he added.

“The move follows increased reluctance among relatives of COVID-19 victims to take the body home and also local bodies refusing to allow such victims to be buried in their localities,” the Collector told DT Next.

Citing a recent example, he said, “A 49-year-old carpenter and resident of Nalavanpalayam, 8 km from the town succumbed to the virus at the Tiruvannamalai Government Medical College Hospital (TGMCH) and when the body was taken for burial to the village, locals refused to allow it and hence it was brought back and finally buried in the town.”

So great is the fear of infection that even accidental deaths are looked upon with suspicion by locals, he said. A few days ago a 35-year-old handicapped person was electrocuted when he came in contact with an electric fence at Navalpakkam village near Vandavasi. “When Thellar police inspector M Allirani went to investigate, locals and relatives refused to touch the body or load it into an auto for to take to the hospital for post mortem. Finally, Allirani and auto driver Kamal both did the needful for which both were lauded in the social media,” Kandasamy added.

Sources revealed that when a 58-year-old woman succumbed to COVID-19, her son asked officials to undertake the burial themselves and refused to even come to witness the burial.

This has resulted in even hospital staff – fearing opposition by locals - being reluctant to reveal where they plan to bury COVID-19 victims as was evident when a 70-year-old man died in the GH on Thursday. He was buried in a local cemetery late in the evening with only some officials being present.

A TGMCH doctor on condition of anonymity said, “even hospital orderlies are reluctant to handle such bodies” and cited examples of even grave diggers being unwilling to do their jobs. “In a recent incident, a JCB had to be hired to dig the 10 feet deep burial pit as grave diggers refused to work,” he added.