Park turned into cremation ground

20 platforms being created to take pressure off Sarai Kale Khan crematorium

In a move that reflects the severity of the COVID-19 crisis in Delhi, a public park has been converted into a cremation ground in south-east Delhi. Pyres are likely to start burning at the ground from Monday as bodies pile up across the city and designated crematoriums struggle to keep pace. A worker at the nearby Sarai Kale Khan crematorium said they have only 20 pyre platforms and two e-furnaces — one of which is out of order and the other is running round the clock. “On Saturday, there were 27 bodies and on Sunday there were over 30 till 5 p.m. With the surge in COVID-related deaths, we were getting short on space... We are hopeful of managing the situation better with the 20 new platforms being built in the park. At present, we are operating from 6 a.m. to midnight,” he said.