Karnataka asks district authorities to earmark land for cremation of bodies

Bengaluru: With COVID-19 cases and related fatalities rising in Karnataka, the state government has asked district authorities to earmark land near urban areas for the cremation of bodies.

In a letter to the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts, Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka said he had come across the fact that the deaths were on the rise in some municipal corporations.

“It has come to my notice that there is non-availability of land for the final rites of the dead,” Ashoka said.

He directed the deputy commissioners to immediately earmark government land at least one to two kilometres away from the municipal corporation limits.

The Minister directed the officials to act on the letter urgently.

The direction came as Karnataka started logging above 14,000 cases a day whereas the fatalities have crossed over 100.

While the state recently reported close to 20,000 infections a day while the fatalities on Monday was 146, including 97 in Bengaluru alone.