People living near the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh have been witnessing the ghastly sight of dead bodies washing up on the ghats of the river.
Over 2,000 bodies were found in 1,140 kms on the bank of River Ganga which is spread across several districts in Uttar Pradesh, reported Hindi Daily Dainik Bhaskar.
Ganga flows across 1,140 kms in UP and then enters Bihar.
As per the report, 350 bodies were found buried near Mahadevi Ganga Ghat in Kannauj. Sources said that the administration is covering up the bodies by putting soil on them.
In Kanpur, which is UP's one of the most populated states, 400 corpses were buried near Sherreshwar Ghat. As per Dainik Bhaskar's report, the police covered the bodies with soil.
Amid the pandemic, Unnao has become one of the largest crematoriums on river banks with as many as 900 bodies found buried on the banks of River Ganga. Bodies were buried near Shuklaganj and Buxar Ghats. As per Dainik Bhaskar's report, human organs were seen at the site. In some instances, dogs were seen nibbling and lurking around the bodies.
Bodies buried in the sand on the banks of Ganga river, as coronavirus cases surge, in Unnao district | PTI
Bodies of suspected Covid patients found in Ganga cremated by the administration, in Unnao | ANI
Bodies of suspected Covid-19 coronavirus victims are seen partially buried in the sand near a cremation ground on the banks of Ganges River in Rautapur Ganga Ghat, in Unnao | AFP
Police and administrative officials (background) inspect a cremation ground on the banks of Ganges River, where suspected bodies (foreground) of Covid-19 coronavirus victims appeared partially buried, at Rautapur Ganga Ghat in Unnao on May 13, 2021. | AFP
A view of the bank of river Ganga after district administration clean drive as dozens of decomposing bodies found, amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, at Chausa in Buxar | ANI
About 20 bodies in Fatehpur and 50 in Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chandauli, Bhadohi and Mirzapur were found, said the report.
280 carcasses were found in Ghazipur. In Puravanchal district, Dainik Bhaskar reported that 110 bodies were found and video of 52 bodies also went viral. It is reported that every day over a dozen of bodies are found in Ghazipur. Adjacent to Ghazipur, in Ballia district, 15 corpses were found. Now, police forces have been deployed along the ghat. The administration has ordered that bodies will not be allowed to bury bodies there.
Residents of Ghazipur, mortified over the incident, have expressed concerns over the spread of diseases and the stench coming from the bloated bodies.
"The sight was ghastly, corpses were floating from all directions and were getting stuck on the ghats. People were getting really terrified and the smell is getting worse," said Akhand, a local.
"After looking at the condition of the bodies, it seemed like they have been floating for a while, maybe four to five days. It is possible that they came from the Chandoauli side," he added.
Incidents such as these have sparked fears about the scale of the Covid crisis in the country, especially in rural areas. Authorities believe the relatives of those who succumbed to the virus, may not have been able to find space for the last rites.
