By Arfat Khan
JAMMU: Shame No 1- One Councilor forcefully denied cremation of a 72 year old corona virus (nCoV) victim at Jogi Gate cremation ground. Police and administration remained mute spectators.
Shame No 2 – The miscreants forced the family members to flee with half burnt body of a 72 year old corona virus (nCoV) victim from Domana cremation ground. Authority remained mute spectators.
Shame No 3– Denied burial at Shakti Nagar, two nephews who was accompanying a 65 year old nCoV victim died while shuttling from one place to other donning PPE kits in search of cremation ground since morning under the blistering heat of sun. Again authority remained mute spectators.
These recurring horrible incidents which shook humanity in the city of temples has failed to wake up the new ‘Nawabs’ who are handling the convoluted affairs of newly grafted Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir amid vicious cycle of deadly pandemic.
Unmoved over such repeated incidents of desecrations of dead bodies, the ‘Nawabs’ occupying seats of power never bothered to identify one site each for disposable of dead body following death due to nCoV in compliance with standard operation procedures (SOPs) notified by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Directorate General of Health Services (EMR Div)-Govt of India and WHO.
These SOPs clearly states that each District Development Commissioners who also happens to be Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority at district level bestowed with responsibility to identify one burial and cremation ground and share the same with general public as well as Municipal Corporation/committees and NHM.
In addition, DDC have to identify one Priest, Pandit and Moulvi who will perform last rites and rituals with instruction to SHO for fool proof security at identify sites.
The way miscreants humiliated the dead bodies and snatched their fundamental right for respectful cremation not only shows brazen failure of administration in implementing these SOPs but also reflects lawlessness in cremation of dead body of nCoV victims in the city, angrily said Raj Kumar.
Sources in DDC Jammu office disclosed that till date no such site has been identified for cremation/burial of dead body of corona virus victims.
Blaming the administration for mistreatment to the corpse at the hands of handful of miscreants at Shakti Nagar, Domana and Jogi Gate cremation grounds, sources said “Such unfortunate happenings were the outcome of absence of accountability in the system.
Expressing displeasure over loss of two precious persons who were collapsed at Sidhara, another officer said “Had the DDC designate a site for cremation of dead body of nCoV victim, the two young lives could be saved. The duo dies purely because of administrative inertia, he added.
Not only DDC Jammu but also the Jammu Municipal Corporation as well as Department of Information and Public Relation also failed to comply with the SOPs notified by the MoHFW in cremation of nCoV victim dead body.
The responsibility matrix clearly shows that the Jammu Municipal Corporation rests with duty to appoint one Nodal officer, earmark two dedicated vehicles along with two drivers, framed a team of three SKCs, one sprayer who will assist the victim’s family members in cremation of dead body and arrangement of sanitizers and soaps at sites identified by the Chairman NDMA.
Besides, the JMC also have to provide PPE kits for staff deputed for this task, all members of family accompanying the dead body of nCoV victim, grave diggers and religious representatives.
Surprisingly, following the footsteps of DDC, the JMC except designating its Health Officer as Nodal officer prefers to remain silent on other significant SOPs.
Similarly, the DIPR too missed to play its crucial role in publicity of SOPs and educating general public so as to dissuade the myths about the cremation of corona virus victim dead body among the public at desired level.
There is prevalence of fluid situation in the administration. No one is accountable to anyone in the current scenario. In the corridors of power most officers are acting as ‘Nawab’, said one officer.
With absurd Nwabi’s orders which keep flowing from the corridors of power every now and then, the genuine decision making have taken a back seat in the UT, avers another senior officer.
To seek official response, JKGN send queries to Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma, DDC, Jammu Sushma Chouhan and Commissioner JMC Avny Lavasa but none responded.