Passerby protest burial of COVID body near lower Manair dam in Karimnagar

Karimnagar: The residents of Karimnagar complained on Twitter to the local authorities about COVID-infected bodies being buried near lower Manair dam near Karimnagar. The body of a COVID patient was brought for burial to the dam on July 19.

The police said, “The relatives of the COVID-infected patient had decided to bury the body of the patient near the dam in open land and dug a pit with the help of a JCB, adjacent to the dam. The public passing by the lake spotted an ambulance going towards the dam and protested against the burial since it would contaminate the water body. Upon the protest by the local Corporator and the fishermen in that area, relatives of the deceased changed their decision and took the body to another place for burial. No case has been registered and we only got the information,” said the lake police.

“Around 10.30 am, an ambulance with a COVID patient reached the dam. A JCB was already digging a pit. The locals who were walking in that area saw the ambulance and understood the situation. Immediately, they protested and did not let the burial take place. The ambulance had to go back with the body. They left the spot even before the police arrived,” said a local ice-cream vendor, Nikhil.

“Around 200 of us fish at this place for our livelihood. If the dam gets polluted, we cannot fish. They started digging exactly at the place we fish and so, we informed the local Corporator who came and informed the police following which they relatives of the deceased had to return,” said Anji a local fisherman.