[Watch ] COVID Heroes: Odisha BDO, Sarpanch Cremate Unclaimed Dead Bodies

Balangir: Call it social stigma or fear attached to COVID-19, bodies of those who died due to coronavirus are left unattended in some areas. Setting an example in one such case, the local administration in Odisha’s Balangir district has come forward to aid cremation of the infected bodies.

One Amusa Mahananda (45) of Deuli village in Ghunashara Panchayat under Saintala block died of COVID. He is survived by a son and a daughter. But, his family members and neighbours did not come for his cremation.

On learning about it, Ghunashara Sarpanch Draupadi Behera helped in Mahananda’s cremation. Behera received help from an ambulance driver, Naib-Sarapanch Champu Seth, journalist Ajit Sahu and Asha worker Saudamini Seth. The Sarpanch and driver wore PPE kits and performed the last rites.

One Phula Tola Nag (55) of Dedhel village under Saintala block also died of COVID-19. As her family members and neighbours did not help, the body was cremated by some people in the presence of Saintala BDO Debashis Samal, Tehsildar Suman Kishore Dung, social worker Santosh Behera and police Manoj Naik.