Karnataka govt cremates, immerses another 1,200 unclaimed Covid-19 victims' ashes
Karnataka government on Monday immersed 1,200 unclaimed bodies' ashes at Srirangapatna some 150 kms away from Bengaluru. After puja and symbolically offering 'pinda', revenue minister R Ashoka said that those dead were not orphans but were part of the state and hence they are also family.
FollowAfter the cremation and immersing of 1,100 ashes of unclaimed bodies in June this year, the Karnataka government today immersed the ashes of 1,200 Covid-19 victims.
On the banks of Cauvery river in Gosai Ghat at Srirangapatna some 150 kms away from Bengaluru, the Revenue Minister and additional principal secretary and other officials organized a puja, immersed ashes, and later offered 'pinda'.
Talking to reporters, minister R Ashoka said that the government took initiative as many families failed to claim the bodies of Covid victims at various hospitals in and around Bengaluru. As a result, the bodies were piled in freezers at various mortuaries.
He said that now that the ashes were immersed, the souls of the victims will rest in peace as that is the belief among Hindus.
The government had appointed priest Bhanuprakash Sharma for the job and as per his directions, the rituals were conducted.
During the peak of the second wave between March to May, the country was also exposed to the shocking fact of shortage of liquid oxygen and many lost lives.
Bengaluru city also bore the brunt of this fact. Petrified family members in many cases failed to collect the dead bodies and asked the municipalities and government to do last rites.
As thousands of bodies piled up in various hospitals, in June once the pandemic slowed down, the government had held a similar event for mass cremation and immersion of ashes.
Now, once again the government immersed Covid victims' ashes as families in fear of getting infected failed to claim the bodies and do last rites.
On Sunday, Karnataka reported 589 new cases of Covid infections and 13 covid related deaths. Bengaluru again tops the chart with 221 cases and 5 deaths.
