COVID-19: Cemeteries running out of space as death toll mounts in Chennai – Times Now

Chennai: The coronavirus cases have taken a toll on our lives as the country reported over 4,500 deaths on Wednesday, the highest since the pandemic broke out. With the rise in deaths and cases, hospitals are overwhelmed and burial grounds are running out of space. Due to space crunch, parking lots, parks, etc. are being converted to burial grounds for cremating bodies.

A similar situation has been witnessed in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai where the cemeteries are running out of space as deaths are rising at an alarming rate since the beginning of this year. Owing to this, churches and managing burial sites have turned desperate. 

Chennai has some major Christian cemeteries like old Kilpauk Cemetery, Kasimedu Cemetery, Quibble Island Cemetery, St. Mary’s Corporation Cemetery, among others. Kilpauk and Kaimedu cemeteries are managed by Madras Cemeteries and some are managed by churches.

Situation at cemeteries in the city

At St. Mary’s Corporation Cemetery, the workers were found cutting trees to adjusting more bodies. In the past one week, over 20 bodies were buried. An official added that the cemetery saw nearly 150 burials in the past one year. The deaths also include non-Covid ones.

An assistant priest said that nobody expected that such a situation would arise. There is a space crunch in the city.

According to reports, the Madras Cemeteries Board Trust is planning to approach the Chief Minister and ask the government to allot additional land for burials are more bodies are piling up.

A parish priest added that in western countries, people are going for ash burials in place of body burials. “But we do not want to hurt sentiments by suggesting the same to mourning families, especially when a pandemic is a cause for death,” as quoted by Times of India.