Bengaluru COVID Fatalities Spike, Increase Demand for Firewood

Bengaluru is seeing a surge in Covid19 cases. This has unfortunately increased the number of deaths as well. As open cremation is allowed, this has led to an increase in demand for firewood. People need wood to burn the bodies.

The people who sell firewood have to work overtime. No matter how much wood they arrange, it is in shortage only. The BBMP is now trying to make up for the demand. They said that the officials are working on arranging more than 540 tonnes of firewood.

Even the cremation charges have increased now. The Crematoriums usually charge Rs 500 but now the amount has gone up in thousands. The families are in a dilemma. The loss of a loved one and there is not even enough wood to burn the body. Every day the wood is loaded to these places but the need is more. 

The increasing Covid cases have caused the situation to worsen in the country. The hospitals are facing a shortage of beds and oxygen cylinders. Due to the shortage of ICU beds in hospitals, the country is witnessing an increase in the number of Covid related deaths.

This situation is a repeat from last year when Bengaluru was facing severe conditions in June. Many deaths were recorded when the city reported a shortage of ICU beds. In June, the numbers in the city were really high. These casualties are the people who are in critical condition but do not find beds in the hospital to be treated.

The issue here is not just the hospital beds, but also the shortage of oxygen cylinders. Recent reports from the Bengaluru hospitals claim that the oxygen supply has completely dried up. As we can see apart from oxygen cylinders, other things are in shortage as well.