PRAYAGRAJ: Multiple bodies have been discovered buried in sand in Prayagraj's Sangam area and Shringverpur Ghat, days after remains were sighted floating on the Ganga river's surface. During the second wave of the coronavirus, bodies of the deceased are buried in the sand near the Ganga river's banks, supposedly due to a lack of wood for cremation. There was no way of knowing if these bodies belonged to COVID-19 sufferers. “People used to bury the dead bodies in sand, which would come up when the wind blew. They were eaten by crows and dogs in the past. People have stopped bathing in this stretch of area. We are pleading with the authorities to investigate the situation. There are over 500 bodies, which are already visible,” a local remarked.

A senior official of the UP government on the condition of anonymity told HS, the state administration is seized on the matter and took several steps to arrest the trend. “These include giving Rs 5,000 to the next of kin of the deceased persons, enhancing patrolling along the river course by teams of SDRF and PAC’s water police, and sensitizing village Panchayat leaders to ensure that people do not abandon their dead relatives,” he said.

Such incidents have raised concerns about the scope of the COVID epidemic throughout the country, particularly in rural areas. Authorities fear that relatives of individuals who died as a result of the illness may have been unable to find a suitable location for the final rites. The discovery of bodies buried in the sand on the Ganga's banks has frightened residents in the surrounding villages. In the Sangam area, dozens of rotting bodies lay uncovered. "People have been burying their deceased here for the past 2-3 months." Strong winds push away the sand covering the bodies, exposing the rotting bodies. Predatory birds and dogs congregate and gorge themselves on the corpses. The government should make arrangements for proper burials," a local told HS.