The State government has revised the guidelines to reduce the maximum number of people at funerals from 20 to five. The guidelines were revised to avoid crowding at crematoria and burial grounds, observed in many cities, sources said.
To ease the strain on existing infrastructure in the city, the government, on Sunday, started an open crematorium at Tavarekere on the city’s outskirts. “The Revenue Department had earmarked four acres in the village for a burial ground, but the project was yet to take off. In four days we have created three platforms to burn bodies. We have also arranged for water and other facilities. Another such open crematorium at Giddenahalli will start functioning in the next few days,” said J. Manjunath, Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban District, adding that arrangements had been made to use fallen trees for firewood.
The crematorium at T.R. Mills locality was opened for cremation of COVID-19 victims from Sunday. While there are no electric crematoriums at these locations, bodies will be burnt using firewood, sources said. Revenue Minister R. Ashok visited the crematoriums at Tavarekere and T.R. Mills.
Hearse helpline
Meanwhile, the BBMP has started the hearse helpline (080-22493202/203 and 8792162736) to streamline cremation of COVID-19 victims. Of the 12 electric crematoriums, seven — Medi Agrahara, Kudlu, Panathur, Kengeri, Sumanahalli, Peenya, and Banashankari — will be dedicated to COVID-19 victims referred from the helpline. The other five crematoriums and the two open crematoria at Tavarekere and T.R. Mills will take other bodies, including of COVID-19 victims that are not referred to by the hearse helpline.
