The cremation ghats in Varanasi are overflowing with bodies of the Covid dead with queues sometimes stretching into residential areas.

Bodies line the stairs of the Harishchandra Ghat along the Ganga in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency. Staff members at the crematorium said the body count had been 125 on Friday and 127 on Saturday, almost 10 times higher than the 15-odd bodies that used to be cremated daily.

According to a crematorium employee, the ghat has two electric incinerators and three platforms for wood pyres.

“Officially, there were bodies of 11 coronavirus infected persons on Friday and 12 on Saturday. But the total numbers of the dead has become unusually high,” said Mohit Chaudhary, a staffer.

Another staff member said on the condition of anonymity: “We are treating every body as that of a Covid-19 patient and handling them carefully. Most bereaved relatives are saying that the deceased had fever and other Covid symptoms. Either they could not be tested or they died before the results arrived.”

“We managed to cremate 80 bodies over the past 24 hours by setting up more pyres. However, bodies are piling up at the ghat. You can see bodies kept even in the streets near the ghat as there is no space here,” the staff member added.

Rajesh Yadav, the Nagar Nigam councillor of the area, said: “The situation is clearly out of control. There is fear of the infection spreading in areas near Harishchandra Ghat. We are sanitising the streets and appealing to the people to ensure they use PPE kits and that clothes of the deceased are not left behind after the cremation is completed.”

The scene is similar at Manikarnika Ghat.

Ramesh Rai, who had brought his uncle’s body to the ghat on Saturday morning, told reporters: “My uncle had fever and breathing problem for the past six days. He had been admitted to a private hospital and a Covid test was done. But we didn’t get the report even after his death.”

“There are 52 bodies in the queue and one has to wait for a minimum of one-and-a-half hours for the electric incinerator and five hours for a wood pyre. I think I will have to wait till Sunday night,” Rai added.

According to the health department, there are 11,500 active Covid patients in Varanasi.

Gaurang Rathi, the municipal commissioner of Varanasi, said: “We are trying to manage the situation. A large number of employees have been deployed at the cremation grounds.”