Hyderabad:The unsung frontline warriors

Hyderabad: One of the most neglected unsung frontline warriors in the fight against Covid pandemic is gravediggers who have been working relentlessly on the ground as part of community service. Even when the kith and kin of deceased showed their reluctance in coming anywhere near the body, these warriors stand their ground and perform their duties without any hesitation.

The frontline workforce from the medical fraternity, police and civic departments have been working with full dedication and rendering selfless services. Similarly, unknown to many, since the coronavirus broke out and started claiming lives, the gravediggers have been digging 10-12 graves a day at graveyards across the city, including Sultan Daira graveyard in Chanchalguda, Barhane Shah graveyard in Santosh Nagar, Bada Qabarastan in Barkas, Daira Mir Momin in Sultan Shahi.

"A large number of deaths are being reported in this pandemic, several people are dying of heart attacks, multiple organ failure and due to stress. The graveyards of all religions and communities have been witnessing an increased number of burials day by day," said Syed Minhaj Qureshi, a social activist.

Syed Dastagir Khan, a supervisor and gravedigger at Sultan Daira in Chanchalguda, said, "He along with his workers have buried more than 25 Covid-19 victims in Chanchalguda graveyard till now without being provided of any protection gear. Apart from the victims of virus, more than a dozen graves are being dug by the team."

Speaking to The Hans India, Khan said that he was the fourth generation who has been working in this graveyard and none in his family has ever seen this kind of situation. "The first Corona victim was buried in March. The body was buried by the GHMC workers. We were scared to touch the body. But now the GHMC workers are just placing the dead body in the grave and rest of the works is being done by the graveyard workers," he said, adding that while bringing the victim's body, the official workers wear personal protection gear for their safety, however, we have to handle the body by covering face and wearing gloves. Don't we have a family and what if we get infected? He questioned.

Out of the 25 burials, only one family was provided a PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) kit while the rest took place without any safety gear.

Recently, a news went viral on social media that around 200 bodies have been buried in the last two weeks in Sultan Daira Qabarastan. Clarifying this, the Chowni division corporator Mohammed Murtuza Ali said that daily more than a dozen burials are taking place in this graveyard, and it's possible that around 200 could have been buried in during the said period.

Reportedly, in Faqeer Mullah Graveyard located at Shareef Nagar Under Balapur Mandal around 70 Covid victims have been buried by the workers.

Wirth several burials taking place, the workers were worried over digging so many graves per day. "We have to dig a grave of at least 4 ft in depth and 6 ft in breadth, daily digging more than a dozen graves was taking a toll on all the 15 workers here," said Mohammed Mazhar, a worker.