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India Covid crisis: Bihar spreads net across Ganga to fish out floating bodies

Patna - Patna high court wanted the government to set up a ‘war-room’ to continuously monitor the crisis.

The Bihar government has placed a net on the Ganga in Ranighat, bordering Uttar Pradesh, to prevent the continued flow of bodies of suspected Covid-19 victims from the other state.

Sanjay Jha, Bihar’s water resources minister tweeted that the last rites of 71 bodies of the victims were performed according to the protocols. “We have advised the UP administration to be vigilant,” he said. “Our district administration is keeping vigil too. Advise all to give respect to those dead.”

The tragic incident has seen the Patna high court demand a report from the government on the bodies recovered and how they are being disposed. It also wanted the government to set up a ‘war-room’ to continuously monitor the crisis.

According to Buxar district officials, the 71 bodies had washed in from the neighbouring districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and were recovered at Chausa village. Officials in UP have denied the reports.

The civil surgeon of Buxar, Dr Jitendra Nath, urged the people in the area to refrain from using the river water. “People living in the riverine areas should keep a strict watch and vigilance, as the bodies that were found floating in the river at Chausa were decomposed,” he told the media. “Though, until reports come, it cannot be said that they were infected with Covid-19, people should not use the river water for bathing or other religious purposes as chances of infection increases.”