Pramesh Jain
Bengaluru is witnessing a massive surge in COVID-19 infections in the second wave of the pandemic.
With the spike in deaths,crematoriums and graveyards are overflowing with bodies.
The workers at several of these facilities, however,say that they have not been paid for months and have threatened to stop operations in the coming days.
Working dawn to dusk without rest and protection,workers of the electric crematorium have threatened to stop working unless the working conditions improve.
On Thursday,they wrote to Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court seeking his intervention in the issue.
As many as 49 bodies have been received at the Sumanahalli electric crematorium since Wednesday morning in which nine bodies are still waiting for cremation.
It takes at least one hour to cremate the body followed by cleaning and premises for the next body.The workers are exhausted because of the heat and at least two of them have injected with the covid positive since last two days.
The sad part is that one of them needed immediate hospitalization and he did not get bed in the city and has to be taken to Kolar.
The workers working round the clock and exhausted and needed rest,Amidst this people shout accused the workers of corruption,which,making the situation worse,A Suresh,state General Secretary of Dr BR Ambedkar Dalitha Sangharsha Samithi,said.
The situation is not different in other 11 crematoriums as the workers complaining that they are not getting rest and have to work under inhuman condition round the clock.
There is no system in place and its like a war zone,Suresh said adding that same situation prevails since last one week .
There is a urgent need that the BBMP officials should intervene and supervise the situation at the crematorium.
The workers at the crematoriums should get to work in at least two shift to work and to be provided necessary protection from the agitated crowd,Mr.Suresh added .
He further said,Samithi is aware that crematorium is part of essential service and hence the workers will not stage snap protest from the humanity perspective,but the authorities concerned should also consider the working conditions of the people at the crematoriums he added.
BBMP commissioner,Gaurav Gupta said reporters, that he was not aware that crematorium workers are unpaid.He said I will order the immediate release of salaries to them.
