In this South Asian country, it is easy to find similar shrines dedicated to Covid-19 and other plagues. “Goddess Corona is the only hope” Since the outbreak of the pandemic, India has recorded more than 27 million cases and more than 322,000 deaths from Covid-19. The latest outbreak that began in March has left the country’s health system in crisis because of a lack of hospital beds and oxygen. In states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, women gather near temples or under sacred trees to worship the corona virus, which is realized in the form of a goddess known as “Corona Maa”. . They sit around in a circle and perform rituals, offering milk, coconuts, flowers and sweets to the deity. Some chanted prayers to appease the goddess’ wrath. Bimla Kumari, a resident of Patna, the capital of Bihar state, said: “We are worshiping ‘Corona Maa’ so that our family members remain safe from the virus. The goddess’s wrath will be appeased with offerings, for she is an angry goddess, not a benevolent goddess. The hospitals are overcrowded and the government doesn’t care. So the goddess is our only hope.” After worshiping “Corona Maa” under a banyan tree with his friends, Kumari said “luckily, everyone gathered here today is healthy”. Monks perform a prayer ritual before the god “Corona Devi” at Kamatchipuri Adhinam temple in Coimbatore city to ask for blessings and help people overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: AFP. In India, there is a long tradition that in times of disaster, people turn to faith to alleviate suffering. The worshipers of Sheetla Mata – the goddess of smallpox – believed that she would protect them from the disease by killing the demons believed to cause it. Goddess Sheetla Mata is said to be the reincarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga. A 300-year-old temple in Gurgaon, near New Delhi, is dedicated to this goddess Sheetla Mata. In addition, some other temples specialize in praying for healing. These places worship male deities, for example Vaitheeswaran temple in the town of Mayiladuthurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. Here, devotees pray before the incarnation of Lord Shiva. Mahadeva Temple in Kerala state is where devotees come to cure epilepsy and chronic asthma. In the Tumkur district of neighboring Karnataka state, cancer patients regularly visit the Areyuru Vaidhyanatheshwara temple. They believe that this temple can cure them without treatment with modern medicine. The Pataleshwar Temple in the city of Muradabad, Uttar Pradesh – now closed due to the pandemic – is often a popular destination for people with skin diseases. Many pilgrims come here to ask for blessings by bringing brooms as offerings or sweeping the floors of the temple. Broom shops near temples are usually very expensive on weekends. After offering, most brooms are returned to the seller and continue to be sold to the next person. Elsewhere in the state of Uttar Pradesh, a hand pump at the Jagnewa Hanuman temple pumps up water that many believe has healing powers. Believers believe that a saint touched the pump and infused it with healing powers. They take water in a glass bottle and pour it over the patient’s body in the belief that they will be cured. Anant Kumar, a local, said: ‘My daughter’s chronic asthma – a disease that modern medicine could not cure for many years – disappeared within a month after she took it. water is taken from this manual pump”. Monks worship idols of god Shiva and goddess Parvati at a temple in Prayagraj city, India. Photo: AP. Cultural traditions or superstition? Millions of Indians place their trust in such “healing” temples. Meanwhile, many people are still skeptical about this and think that this is superstition. Harsh Bhagnani, an engineer in Mumbai, said: “Healing temples are just as effective as a placebo for fanatics. Curative therapies should be rooted in modern science and medicine.” Some opponents of these temples argue that the reason people flock here is because the health care system in India is not focused on investment. According to the results of the Human Development Report 2020 of the United Nations Development Program, India ranks 155 out of 167 countries in terms of the number of hospital beds available to meet people’s needs. The country-specific rate is 5 hospital beds and 8.6 doctors per 10,000 population. However, for RP Mitra, a professor of anthropology at Delhi University, these religious rituals are deeply rooted in the Indian subconscious. Indian hospitals are overwhelmed by the second wave of Covid-19, with shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen. Photo: Reuters. “These temples are a fulcrum, helping believers in times of insecurity, fear, and suffering caused by deadly diseases. The temples can be seen as a supernatural complex.” Professor Mitra analyzed. He said religious people may still want to receive divine blessings and still have faith in modern medicine, as the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. “Whether it’s traditional Chinese medicine or ancient therapies practiced across countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal or India, religious beliefs have always been incorporated into traditional medicine,” he said. said more. Countries rush to send medical supplies to India Before the request for support from India, some countries rushed to send medical equipment, including ventilators and oxygen generators, to support the South Asian country in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

Unlike city people who know how to use social networks, Basi villagers cannot go to Twitter to call for help from strangers. Basi village in Uttar Pradesh state. The state has more than 75% of its people living in rural areas, according to the most recent 2011 census of India. “Most of the people who died in the village were due to not being given oxygen in time,” said Sanjeev Kumar, the newly elected village chief. Mr. Kumar said the seriously ill had to travel four hours to get to the nearest hospital, but many died on the way. Village chief Sanjeev Kumar on May 10 holds portraits of recently deceased Covid-19 patients in Basi village, Uttar Pradesh state. Photo: Bloomberg. What happened in Basi village is a common image of rural India at the moment. Through interviews with representatives from more than 18 towns and villages across India, the scale of the crisis gradually emerged. According to the Indian Ministry of Health, the country has more than 25 million cases of Covid-19 and 274,390 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. But many believe that the scale of the crisis is significantly larger than the official figure, given that many villagers are sick but afraid to leave their homes, and the death toll from Covid-19 is not fully recorded. General image of rural India After the recent Basi village chief election, many election workers contracted coronavirus, including Kumarsain Nain, 59, and his 31-year-old son. When Nain had trouble breathing and had to go to the hospital, his family couldn’t find an ambulance with an oxygen ventilator, according to Praveen Kumar, another son of Nain. “When we got to the hospital, the doctor said my father had passed away. But instead of recording the cause of death as Covid-19, they just recorded cardiac arrest,” Kumar said. “The doctor said there is no need to check if my father is positive for Covid-19 because he is already dead.” Not long after, in another clinic, Kumar’s brother also died at the same time as six other patients. All 7 people were on ventilators at the time before they died. “I suspect that the hospital ran out of oxygen which led to death,” Kumar said. An outdoor cremation ground along the banks of the Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges, in Garh village, Uttar Pradesh state on May 4. Photo: Bloomberg. Reply Bloomberg On May 18, Mr. Baijayant Panda, a senior official in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, defended the government’s response. He pointed out that the electoral body is the one who decides to hold the vote, and that the state governments are responsible for building the oxygen plants. These facilities receive federal funding. “In early January, the general view was that India passed the strongest wave of corona virus infections. Many epidemiologists are voicing criticism right now, in fact the people who said in October 2020 that the worst is over, so there’s no need to put a lot of restrictions,” Panda said. In the state of Bihar, where nearly 90 percent of the population lives in the countryside, residents last week found 70 bodies floating in the Ganges. Because the crematorium is overcrowded, people are concerned that they cannot afford the funeral expenses, so they have to “send” the bodies of their relatives in the Ganges River. To this day, people still find bodies pushed ashore by the current. A similar scenario is seen in the state of Madhya Pradesh, where 72 percent of the population lives in rural areas, according to 2011 figures. “There are no hospital beds or medicines. People just lay there waiting to die. In the city of Ujjain and surrounding areas, in the past two weeks there have been several cases where the whole family has not survived,” said Rajesh Sharma, owner of a travel agency in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh state. “Unprecedented scale of crisis” In the state of Punjab, local authorities called on volunteers to knock on doors for health checks and urged people to get vaccinated. These medical volunteers (ASHA) have to work in difficult conditions to immunize children and provide first aid to the villages. But according to Balbir, an ASHA from Ludhiana district, Punjab, the scale of the crisis is unprecedented. The fields in Basi village were abandoned because many of the labor force fell ill. Photo: Bloomberg. “Many people are scared so they don’t tell anyone about their fever. Despite the outbreak of the disease, they still haven’t given us adequate protective gear: no masks, no gloves or anything,” Balbir said. The state of Uttarakhand, where nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, has also suffered a severe blow from Covid-19. The number of infections in Uttarakhand increased 20-fold after welcoming more than 9 million visitors to the Kumbh Mela ceremony on March 31-24. “There is not a single family in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand state without a sick person. Haridwar, in the same state of Uttarakhand, is in a similar situation,” said Navin Mohan, who helps arrange trips to holy towns on the banks of the Ganges. “The pandemic really got out of control. Thousands of people have died and will die in the coming weeks,” Mohan said.

To date, India has recorded more than 25 million cases and 275,000 deaths from Covid-19. However, many experts say the real number could be many times higher. On the riverbanks, many cremation pylons burned around the clock, many cremation sites had no space left. This phenomenon partly reflects the unprecedented number of deaths and has not been updated in official data. According to the BBC , behind the bodies floating in the river is a story of customs, poverty and a deadly pandemic. Many cremation pylons burn around the clock in India. Photo: Getty. Frighten The horrifying story in the state of Uttar Pradesh first came to light on May 10. The opening was the event of 71 bodies washed up on the riverbank in the village of Chausa in Bihar. Officials said some of the remains may have been leftover body parts that fell into the Ganges after cremations, but they suspect the bodies were dumped in the river. The police put a net across the water to prevent the same thing from happening. A day later, about 10 kilometers from Chausa, dogs and crows were seen swarming with dozens of decomposing bodies on the banks of a river in the village of Gahmar, in the Pradesh Ghazipur region of Uttar state. Locals said the body had been washed up on the embankment for several days. However, the authorities ignored their complaints about the stench until news of the corpses found downstream of Bihar made the news. Dozens of bodies swell and decompose, floating in the river. They were discovered by people when they went for a morning dip in India’s holiest river. Sheet Hindustan Police reported that 62 bodies had been recovered. Meanwhile, in Kannauj, Kanpur, Unnao and Prayagraj, the riverbanks are dotted with shallow graves. Shallow graves by the Ganges River. Photo: Getty. Videos sent to BBC from the banks of the Mehndi ghat in Kannauj shows a series of mounds in the shape of human corpses. Each of these mounds contained a body. At the nearby Mahadevi ghat, at least 50 bodies were found. Crematorium is overloaded Traditionally, Hindus will cremate the dead. However, many communities have a practice known as “Jal Pravah” – the practice of floating the bodies of children, unmarried women, or those who have died of an infectious disease or been bitten by a snake. Many poor people do not have money to cremate their loved ones, so they also wrap their bodies in white cotton cloth and drop them into the water. Sometimes bodies are tied to rocks to ensure they will sink to the bottom of the river, but many bodies are floated without the stones tied. In the time before the pandemic, corpses floating in the Ganges were not an uncommon sight. However, the number of bodies in the river is too much in recent times, still surprising many people. A journalist in Kanpur said the number of bodies in the river was proof of the “big disparity between the official death toll and the actual death toll related to Covid-19” in India. He said that from April 16 to May 5, the official reported number was 196 deaths in Kanpur, but data from seven crematoriums showed there were nearly 8,000 cremations. “All electric crematoriums are open 24/7 in April. Even so, there are still not enough furnaces to cremate bodies, so the government has allowed the use of wood on the outside grounds for cremation,” he said. to speak. “However, crematoriums only accept confirmed Covid-19 bodies from the hospital, while a very large number of people who died at home have not been tested. Families of the dead bring the bodies of their loved ones out. on the outskirts of the city or to neighboring districts like Unnao. When they can’t find wood or a place to cremate, they drop the bodies on the riverbed.” Cremation platforms along the riverside. Photo: Getty. Another journalist in Prayagraj also believes that many of the bodies in the river are those of Covid-19 patients who died at home without being tested, or poor people who can’t afford cremation. “It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “These people are someone’s son, daughter, brother, sister, father or mother. They deserve to be respected when they die. But their deaths are not even recorded – no one knows they died or is known. How to be buried? Burial from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m The discovery of graves and decomposing bodies, along with fears that the bodies could have contracted Covid-19 have sparked panic in villages along the river. Originating in the Himalayas, the Ganges is one of the largest rivers in the world. Hindus consider this river a sacred river, they believe that bathing in the Ganges will wash away sins and use this river water for religious ceremonies. In Kannauj, Jagmohan Tiwari, a 63-year-old resident, reported seeing “150-200 shallow graves” by the river. “The burial took place from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.,” he said. The discovery of the graves caused panic in the area. People worry that bodies buried on the ground will start to float in the river when it rains and the water level rises. On May 12, the state government banned the practice of “Jal Pravah” and provided support for poor families who could not afford cremation. Relatives of a victim stand near the riverbank while the body is cremated. Photo: Getty. In many places, the police used sticks to retrieve the body from the river and called on the boatman to bring the body to the shore. After being retrieved, the decomposed bodies are buried in pits or burned on a cremation pyre. Ghazipur district judge Mangala Prasad Singh said teams had been set up, patrolling the riverbanks and cremation grounds to prevent people from dumping bodies in rivers or burying them on the banks. Bringing the ashes of unclaimed Covid-19 victims to the Ganges River Indian volunteers collect ashes from crematoriums to organize funerals for Covid-19 victims in Haridwar city.

The banks of the Ganges River in the city of Garhmukteshwar, Uttar Pradesh state (India’s most populous state) became a place to cremate the bodies of people who died of COVID-19. Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES The epidemic is spreading rapidly to the countryside After four consecutive days of recording the number of infections above 400,000 / day, the last two days the number of daily infections in India has fallen below this level. Many government health officials and experts predict this second wave of epidemics in India will peak around the end of this week. However, it seems that the epidemic crisis in India is moving to a more dangerous new phase. The danger is that the virus is now spreading rapidly to rural areas, according to the CIDRAP Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. In the article in the newspaper New York Times Journalist Jeffrey Gettleman, head of this newspaper’s office in the capital New Delhi, also said that the infection and death from COVID-19 that broke out in big cities a few weeks ago is now spreading very quickly to rural areas. village. New Delhi recorded nearly 12,500 infections on May 11, less than half of the number recorded on April 30. Hospitals in New Delhi are now accepting patients again, after having to stop accepting them because of overcrowding last month, leaving infected people to die on the streets. Mumbai also recorded the same. The danger is that the number of infections in New Delhi and Mumbai will probably stop increasing and decrease gradually, but in many other places will increase. In other words, the situation of New Delhi a few weeks ago now extends to almost the entire country. Some of the worst-affected states are in the south, especially Karnataka. I cannot imagine what would happen in rural India. Expert RIJO M. JOHN worried about the prospect of the COVID-19 epidemic overflowing into the countryside How will it be? This fact raises a terrifying question: If New Delhi, a rich metropolis with dozens of hospitals, is unable to handle the current wave of high cases, what will happen once this wave spreads to the country? poor rural areas? The answer seems to be gradually becoming clear. On the evening of May 10, a leading hospital in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh ran out of medical oxygen. More than 60 critically ill patients wear breathing tubes but no oxygen. The doctors worked frantically, but 11 patients did not survive that night. In a distraught over the loss of a loved one, family members stormed into the hospital and smashed it. Doctors and nurses had to flee until the police arrived. It can be clearly seen that the hospital overload, lack of oxygen, medicine … very serious even in large urban areas will be more alarming in rural states, according to the radio. CNN . Chogath farming village in the western state of Gujarat has a population of 7,400, but there are 500-600 infections, the number of people who have not survived is very high because the whole village does not have a doctor. Nearby towns have several medical centers, but these small facilities have run out of beds and medical facilities. Dinesh Makwana drove his father, who was severely infected with COVID-19, through four medical centers in neighboring towns, but had to return home, because these centers had run out of beds. Usually about 30 people die in this village every year, but in the past month alone, villagers have had to cremate 90 bodies, according to Mr. Girjashankar. Many families have lost a lot of loved ones to COVID-19. Girjashankar, 70, still volunteered to go up the hill to cut firewood to help cremate the dead. Many southern states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu have made it clear that they will not share the medical oxygen they have with each other, having to keep it to serve hospitals that are overloaded because the number of patients is growing too fast in their states. Medical aid goods from other countries have started pouring into India since the end of April, but it is still not enough compared to the reality of the shortage in this country. Currently, in addition to urban areas suffering from severe epidemics, Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s government also spends some oxygen and medicine to urgently distribute to the states. However, with this little common ground, remote and isolated localities such as Chogath village (Gujarat state) still have to rely on their own strength.• Drop the body Ganges River because there is no money for cremation Newspaper Indian Express On May 10, Indians discovered more than 40 bodies washed up on the banks of the Ganges River near Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states in the north. Some news channels say that the number of bodies floating in the Ganges must be in the hundreds. In India, there is a custom that when a family member dies, the relatives will tie a stone to the body and drop it into the Ganges River – a sacred river for Hindus. However, many officials and locals believe that these bodies are those who died from COVID-19. Many bodies were partially burned and locals explained that the bodies were not cremated or cremated incompletely due to a severe shortage of firewood. Another reason families choose to drop their loved ones’ bodies in the river is because they can’t stand the cost of cremation, many health workers told the newspaper. New York Times . Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are two of India’s poorest states and are home to about 370 million people. Doctors warn people not to use cow dung on their bodies in the belief that it will help their immune systems deal with the virus or help them recover faster if they get sick. Hindus believe cows are a symbol of life and cow dung or cow urine is therapeutic. However, according to doctors, not only is there no scientific evidence that this can defeat COVID-19 but can also bring many other disease risks.

Many states in southern India are warning to stop sharing medical oxygen with each other, protecting all that is available as their hospitals increasingly “swell” because of the increased number of COVID-19 cases. leap. At an Andhra Pradesh hospital, the family of COVID-19 patients went into a rage when the hospital treating their loved ones suddenly had their oxygen supply interrupted. These are the best evidences of the recurring tragedy in India itself. Despair that enveloped New Delhi – the capital of India, over the past few weeks has now spread across the country. Rural areas with poor health infrastructure are slowly feeling the devastation caused by the COVID-19 tsunami. According to the New York Times , it seems that the COVID-19 crisis in India is entering a new phase. Workers deliver oxygen tanks to a hospital in the states of Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo: AP) The number of COVID-19 cases in New Delhi and Mumbai is slowing down. But elsewhere are now really taking the COVID-19 blow. People questioned New Delhi, home to many of India’s top hospitals and packed with the country’s elite that can’t even handle the massive surge in cases, what will happen in the regions. poor countryside. On the night of May 10, a government hospital in Andhra Pradesh fell into a state of oxygen depletion. Doctors frantically call the providers to ask for help. But when the source could not be found, 11 patients died. The families of the patients, after learning of the news, entered the intensive care unit, screaming and smashing the equipment. TV images show the women holding their heads in despair. Doctors and nurses had to flee and wait for the police to arrive. Despite the aid of other countries, India still has a serious shortage of medical oxygen. More than 20 hospitals were depleted of oxygen, nearly 200 patients died from lack of oxygen. Vaccine campaign is being accelerated, but supply is not enough demand. Many vaccination sites in the states have run out of vaccines and people are still unable to schedule vaccinations. When the COVID-19 tsunami shows no signs of cooling down, the wave of criticism against Prime Minister Narendra Modi has intensified. Many people thought that he declared the victory of the epidemic too soon, causing the country to fall off guard. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains India’s most powerful political organization by far. But the solid wall the party has maintained over the years is showing some cracks. When the second wave of COVID-19s began to strike India, the country almost split into two extremes. New Delhi, Mumbai – the two largest cities in India warned that the number of new infections increased continuously with the infection rate up to 36%. In rural areas, the epidemic has also spread but has not yet strongly exploded, leaving many people leisurely. Currently, the situation in New Delhi and Mumbai is improving. On May 11, New Delhi reported 12,481 new infections, half the number of cases recorded on April 30. The positive rate for COVID-19 decreased to 19%. A mass cremation site on the banks of the Ganges River in Allahabad city, Uttar Pradesh. (Image: Getty Images) In Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, the incidence of infection decreased from 25% to 7%. People began to believe that the epidemic was about to end – something they didn’t dare to think about a few weeks ago. Last month, many hospitals in New Delhi were closed due to lack of oxygen. People are not allowed to be hospitalized to die right in front of the emergency room, in front of the hospital gate, or even on the street. When the situation was less stressful, these hospitals accepted the patients again. At the beginning of April, the infection rate in many rural India was only one digit. But now, this number is skyrocketing. “It’s hard to imagine what’s going on in the rural areas, where infection rates rose from 8% in early April to almost 27% on May 11. “, Professor Rijo M John went to the Indian Institute of Management in Kerala state. According to Mr. John, rural India does not carry out testing much and many patients may be dying because they do not receive treatment. On May 11, Modi’s government dispatched an “oxygen express train” to bring liquid oxygen to COVID-19 hotspots in the southern region. But states need more than that. A few weeks ago, several southern Indian states agreed to share oxygen supplies with each other. This week, some started mentioning ceasing to cooperate. The state government of Kerala says it cannot supply oxygen to neighboring states as it needs to retain the entire supply for the state’s growing demand. Tamil Nadu also made a similar statement, claiming he could not be shared with his poorer neighbor, Andhra Pradesh. Earlier this week in the village of Chausa, Bihar state, people panicked when they found dozens of bodies floating mysteriously on the banks of the Ganges River. No one knows who these people are or how their bodies got there. Even on the evening of May 10, images of decomposing bodies in colorful, bulging and floating bodies floating on the river shook the Indian media. Suspected bodies of COVID-19 have been washed ashore in the Ganges river in the past few days. (Photo: PTI) About 30 bodies have been found, most likely, of patients with COVID-19, officials say. Meanwhile local people said they saw about 100 bodies. “I’ve never seen so many bodies,” Arun Kumar Srivastava, a doctor in Chausa said. When the uneasiness of the villagers of Chausa had not passed, their neighbor witnessed the same scene. Villagers in Gahmar village, Uttar Pradesh state found more than 50 bodies of patients with COVID-19 washed up on the banks of the Ganges River as they passed their villages. Krishna Dutt Mishra, an ambulance driver in Chausa, said many poor people were throwing their loved ones into the river when the cremation price increased from $ 27 (more than 600,000 dong) to 200 dollars (more than 4.6 million dong). At many cremation sites, staff in some places charge five or even 10 times more than the usual price. For many families, this is too much for them.

With the record-high new Covid-19 cases, a nation of 1.3 billion people needs huge amounts of medical oxygen every day to cater to the treatment of its patients. This has caused a boom in the black market oxygen trade, where only the very rich can afford it, and families desperately looking for oxygen for loved ones with Covid-19 are susceptible to scams. “On the black market, an oxygen tank, which costs between $ 81 and $ 135 depending on size, is currently being pushed up to $ 812 to $ 1,354. This condition is an indirect cause of the death of patients who have no relationship or money, ”said Divyansh Pandey (25 years old) volunteer in the state of Uttar Pradesh, said. Medical oxygen in India has become an expensive commodity due to the soaring cases of Covid-19. Photo: Getty. The average price of a medical oxygen on the black market, about $ 1,080, is higher than the average monthly income of 1% of the country’s richest people. Conventional drugs, which cost $ 67, are now pushed up to $ 810. Pandey has helped dozens of Covid-19 patients find hospital beds, medical oxygen, oxygen generators and essential medicines. Pandey said he was forced to consider the supply from the black market after repeatedly failing to find and buy the items at the original prices. “The saddest thing is that the black market is openly open and hoarders casually sell it on social media. Non-governmental organizations and official sources often distribute these items for free or sell at original prices, but in small quantities and often out of stock quickly, sometimes within an hour. ” Crisis India currently records more than 20 million cases of SARS-CoV-2, more than 220,000 deaths. Experts say the reason for this dire number is the lack of beds and medicine. “When demand is too much and supply is insufficient, we are forced to sell imported oxygen generators for 10 times the price,” said an anonymous supplier at the Delhi black market. According to data submitted by the Indian government to the Supreme Court, the country has three times more medical oxygen than it needs in 12 states, with about 16,000 tons of liquid oxygen to meet the estimated demand of 4,880. tons last week. However, activists point out that the system only monitors hospital resources, not those needed by Covid-19 patients in home isolation. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that oxygen production has increased 60% to address the crisis, volunteers and suppliers pointed out that problems such as transportation and logistics could hinder the arrival of oxygen cylinders. people’s hands. The price of medical oxygen in the black market has been pushed up many times because of the high demand. Photo: AFP. The lack of oxygen has even made many Indians recklessly experiment with making oxygen at home. At the end of April, many YouTubers posted videos showing people how to make oxygen using easy-to-find sources, available at home. Many of these are new high school students. “We created oxygen in the lab before using electrolysis and easy-to-find chemicals like potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide,” said Kirtharth Tiwari (16), whose video received more than 50,000 views. . Then, Tiwari also made the next video instructing people how to filter oxygen to use, avoiding the risk of an exothermic reaction by using a cold storage bag. “Two people reached out and said that following my instructions worked,” said Rahul Soni, another YouTuber with more than 300,000 video views. However, experts warn against doing such experiments at home because it can lead to dangerous explosions. YouTube has removed both videos for violation of community guidelines. Last week, the Delhi High Court ordered the state government to cut back to stop the proliferation of a “black oxygen” market. However, the situation is still developing complicatedly.

Oxygen infusion is an important treatment for lethal virus positive patients. However, on April 22, 6 hospitals in India announced this essential item. According to the Indian Express If the country of 1.3 billion people continues to report hundreds of thousands of new cases every day, the demand for medical oxygen cylinders will rise sharply in 12 states of India. The case crisis caused the price of these medical devices to skyrocket. According to the Times of India , to buy an oxygen tank, the buyer has to spend 250–330 USD. Even, many advertisements for selling oxygen cylinders with prices ranging from 400–460 USD appeared rampant on social networks. Share with AFP On April 22, an Indian man said he had to pay $ 600 per bottle of oxygen, which was nine times higher than before the outbreak. According to World Bank data, the total annual income of the people of India is only about $ 2,120. The number of Coivd-19 infections in India has skyrocketed, making the price of medical oxygen cylinders extremely expensive here. Photo: Getty. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the demand for medical oxygen is skyrocketing in 25 countries around the world, especially Africa. More than half a million patients with Covid-19 require oxygen therapy every day, meaning hospitals need 1.1 million oxygen cylinders to use within 24 hours. Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Egypt, Nigeria and other countries all declared a shortage of oxygen tanks as the number of cases increased. Worth mentioning, families of critical patients are forced to find and buy medical oxygen cylinders on the black market to save their loved ones’ lives. According to the Guardian, in Peru by 2020, the price of an oxygen tank was once pushed up to $ 1,000. In the UK, the Washington Post notes that a woman pays $ 1,300 for an oxygen tank, 1,000% more expensive than usual. According to the New York Times The 7-fold increase in the demand for medical oxygen in Mexico has enabled the black market to thrive. There are disputes and blocking of oxygen vehicles in some places, local reports say. Not long after, the price of medical oxygen cylinders sold on the black market had tripled. Brazil also experiences medical oxygen deficiencies during times of alarming number of cases. In Manaus, a city in Brazil, to buy a 50-liter oxygen tank, families have to pay nearly $ 1,200, 6.5 times more expensive than usual. However, the black market is not the only reason why the price of this medical device soared. Traffic and infrastructure are also factors that make this happen. Medical oxygen is usually produced by factories and cooled during transportation. In developed countries, oxygen is usually transported in a liquid form, making them less space-consuming and saving on transportation costs. However, the underdeveloped countries are only capable of transporting medical oxygen as a gas. Compared to the central hospital in London, hospitals in Kenya and Nigeria have to pay five to ten times more to buy a medical oxygen tank, according to the Press Bureau in the UK. According to the The Times At Mexico’s most difficult times, an oxygen tank cost more than $ 800, 10 times the cost of a US hospital. According to the Indian Express Most states in India have diverted oxygen production. Instead of serving industrial needs like the manufacture of steel, iron and glass, oxygen will be used largely for medical purposes. However, transportation in the country of 1.3 billion people remains a major obstacle. In particular, the centers of medical oxygen production are concentrated mainly in the East, while the demand for this item is increasing in other areas. The logistics costs were padded, pushing the price of an oxygen tank five times, from about $ 5 to $ 26. All India Radio News said the Indian police have been straightforward to prevent the proliferation of the “black oxygen” market. The state government of Uttar Pradesh announced that it would invoke the National Security Act and the Black Society Act to combat these marketing practices. In addition, in response to the crisis, India is planning to import 50,000 tons of medical oxygen. At the same time, the country is also setting up the “Oxygen Express” train to supply states severely affected by the epidemic. This train will depart from the Bokaro steel plant, carrying liquid oxygen. The Indian government has received much criticism for not upgrading its infrastructure from scratch to avoid the current shortages. “We did not plan this shortage even though we knew the second crisis was coming,” Dr. Lalit Kant, an epidemiologist, told the BBC.

The Nigambodh Ghat Crematorium in New Delhi, India. Photo: Getty Images According to CNN (USA), a crematorium in the state of Uttar Pradesh is in a similar situation, with the number of bodies brought to cremation fivefold in recent weeks, as the 2nd wave of COVID-19s. booming in India. “We had to work day and night, at 100% capacity, to cremate bodies in time,” said Kamlesh Sailor, chairman of the Kurukshetra Cremation Facility Executive Trust in Surat City, Gujarat State. west India, said. Data difference As India’s health system is on the brink of collapse, several major cities have recorded far greater numbers of bodies sent to cremation and burial compared to deaths due to COVID-19. official father. On April 18, India recorded a record 273,810 cases of COVID-19 and 1,619 deaths. As of April 20, the total number of COVID-19 cases of this country has exceeded 15.5 million, second only to the US. A front line employee cremates a man who died of COVID-19 at a crematorium in the Indian suburbs of Mumbai. Photo: Reuters Reliable data is central to the government’s pandemic response, experts say. Without reliable data collection, the preparation of hospital beds and medical essentials will be extremely difficult. But Indian government officials say the disparity in mortality data could be caused by many factors, including an overly prudent body handling process. Many bodies are still cremated according to COVID-19, even if they are only 0.1% likely to be positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a health official said. “Many hospitalized patients were in critical condition and died before testing. There are cases where patients died before admission, we don’t know if they have COVID-19 or not”, the official said to be anonymous. Ms. Bhramar Mukherjee, Professor of Epidemiology and Biological Statistics at the University of Michigan, said there are many areas in India where accurate data cannot be collected. “Things are messed up. It feels like no one understands this situation, it’s annoying,” said Ms. Mukherjee. The crematorium is operating at full capacity The crematorium of patients COVID-19 in Surat broke out. Photo: AFP In Surat, the second largest city in the state of Gujarat, the crematorium Kurukshetra and Umra processed more than 100 bodies a day according to COVID-19 regulations last week. The number of bodies cremated is much higher than the daily death toll, according to the city’s official record of about 25 people. Mr. Prashant Kabrawala, representative of Narayan Trust, Ashwinikumar crematorial company, refused to provide the number of bodies cremated in accordance with COVID-19 regulations. However, he says the number has tripled in recent weeks. “I have never seen so many cremated bodies in the last years, even during the outbreak of the plague in 1994 and the flood of 2006,” Kabrawala said. A Government spokesperson for India in Gujarat declined to respond to a request for comment. India is not the only country that is skeptical of the SARS-CoV-2 virus statistical data. But documents and staff testimonies at cremations show that the disparity in officially reported deaths in India is much higher than in other countries. Professor Mukherjee’s study on the first wave of epidemics in India showed that the number of viral infections was 11 times more than officially reported, which is similar to research in other countries. Besides, the number of deaths in this country is actually 2-5 times higher than the reported data, far exceeding the global average. A relative of COVID-19 victim leans sadly against a glass window at a crematory in New Delhi. Photo: Getty In Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh, data from Baikunthdham, the largest cremation facility for people with COVID-19, found that the number of corpses disposed of in April was twice as high as the number of deaths. Death from COVID-19 is recognized by the government. These figures do not take into account other burial facilities, or cases where COVID-19 victims were buried according to Muslim custom – the community makes up a quarter of Lucknow’s population. The number of bodies cremated under COVID-19 regulations has increased fivefold in recent weeks, said Azad, manager of the Baikunthdham facility. “We work day and night. The crematorium is constantly on fire, but many bodies are still waiting in line,” Azad said. People pray before burying the COVID-19 victims at a cemetery in New Delhi. Photo: Reuters Cremations are many times greater than the COVID-19 mortality data also recorded in many other parts of India. In just four days of April, two cremation facilities in Bhopal – the capital of Madhya Pradesh state, central India – recorded 187 bodies cremated according to COVID-19. Meanwhile, the number of deaths from COVID-19 officially announced by the authorities was only 5. Last week, the local Sandesh newspaper reported 63 bodies were taken to a hospital for patients with COVID-19 in the city of Ahmedabad. But that same day, the city authorities counted only 20 people who died from COVID-19. The Lancet Medical Journal says less than a quarter of all deaths in India are medically confirmed, especially in rural areas. This means that the actual COVID-19 mortality in many other Indian states may not be counted. “Most of the deaths are not reported so it is impossible to calculate,” said Ms. Mukherjee.

New York Times sent reporters to cremations across India and found that the number of deaths caused by Covid-19 was higher than official figures. According to experts, Indian politicians and health officials missed many cases, both unintentional and intentional. The victim’s family also contributes to conceal the disease status of the deceased, making the situation even more complicated. “This is a data disaster,” says epidemiologist Bhramar Mukherjee from the University of Michigan. “From all modeling calculations done, we believe that the actual number of deaths is 2 to 5 times higher than reported”. The actual situation of the cremation ground In a cremation ground in the city of Ahmedabad, capital of the state of Gujarat, western India, fire was lit night and day to serve the cremation of the dead. Mr. Suresh Bhai, an employee here, said he had never seen so many deaths. However, in the section of cause of death on the file, he did not enter Covid-19. “Oops, sick, sick, sick …”, Mr. Suresh said. “That’s what we write.” Indian people pray after the death of a loved one caused by Covid-19. Photo: The New York Times. Mr. Suresh said that this order was issued by his superiors. These people declined to comment on the incident. Cremation is an important part of Hindu farewell rituals. This is considered an act to help the soul be released from the body. The staff at the cremation site said they felt exhausted. These employees also shared that they have never seen so many deaths at the same time today. In the industrial city of Surat, Gujarat state, some of the iron frames used for cremation have melted due to overuse. In the city of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh state, the authorities had to make use of the park to cremate the body. The price of subjectivity Not long ago, India seemed to be on the right track in the prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic, when cases and deaths were under control. Facing this achievement, both Indian officials and people proved subjective and did not continue to take measures to prevent epidemics. But the worst has only just begun. The number of more than 300,000 new infections a day exceeds the capacity of the Indian health sector. The beds are seriously overloaded. A hospital bed with dozens of people lined up for use. There was a time when hospitals in the capital New Delhi only had enough oxygen for a few hours. Cremation of the dead in India. Photo: The New York TImes. Countless Indians are on social media pleading for beds, medicine and oxygen to breathe. The cremations were red and red regardless of day and night. There were times when dozens of bodies were cremated at once. Meanwhile, India’s vaccination campaign is having problems. Only 10% of people in this country get at least one vaccine, even though India is the leading manufacturer of vaccines in the world. According to the Washington Post , the rate of people who have had two injections in India is only 1.4%. Medical experts believe that part of the cause comes from the mutant virus strain B.1.617. This is called a “double mutation” strain, which carries the mutation of two other mutant viruses. This makes B.1.617 both more contagious and more difficult to control than conventional viruses. “Cremation sites have never been so crowded” Residents of Bhopal city, Madhya Pradesh state, say cremations have never been so crowded. Bhopal officials recorded 41 deaths related to the Covid-19 outbreak in mid-April 13 days. New York Times At the city’s crematorium and cemetery for victims of Covid-19, the death toll amounted to more than 1,000 during that same period. “Many deaths have not been recorded. This number is increasing, ”said Dr. GCGautam, a cardiologist in Bhopal. According to him, the government did so because it did not want to create a wave of panic among the people. A similar situation was observed in Lucknow and Mirzapur, the main cities of Uttar Pradesh state. In the state of Gujarat, the local Sandesh newspaper pointed out that the number of deaths per day is about 610, many times higher than the 73-121 number announced by the government. The rapid increase in the number of deaths caused the cremation grounds to become crowded. Photo: The New York TImes. There are many reasons leading to this situation. Subjectively, according to epidemiologist Bhramar Mukherjee from the University of Michigan, some families do not want to have to bury their loved ones with the strict process of handling the bodies of Covid-19 patients. Objectively, some states are said to have received requests from the central government, where they have to slightly reduce the numbers from reality. In addition, even in the pre-pandemic years, only about a fifth of deaths have been forensically examined. This means that the cause of death of the majority of Indians is not recorded in official records. For his part, Mr. Suresh Bhai continued to work diligently. “Every day, my cemetery has to deal with 15-20 patients of Covid-19 who have died,” he said amid the flare of the flames. India ‘broke the game’ in the second wave of Covid-19 India is being devastated by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. In just 24 hours, the number of deaths due to the country’s pandemic reached 2,000 people and more than 300,000 new cases.

Khan’s farm is located in Malihabad, a mango paradise in northern India with more than 10,000 hectares. Amir Khusro, the Indian-Persian poet, has called mango, native to India and tropical, subtropical climate, as “the most beautiful fruit of Hindus”. The cultivation of mangoes in India began many centuries ago during the Mughal Empire. This country is also the largest mango producer in the world, with more than 1,000 varieties and accounting for more than 40% of production. Mr. Khan and the mango season were good last year. The story of “mango trees 300 kinds of fruits” With the help of his son, Khan has grown mangos on 22 acres of farmland, a property cultivated by his grandfather since the 1900s. When Khan dropped out of high school and started his life, his family planted only a few local varieties, similar to nearby mango farms. Khan’s dream of grafting mangoes rekindled at the age of 15, when he saw a rose-hybrid tree in a friend’s garden. The flower tree had flowers of different colors that made him wonder if a single tree could produce such fruits. “Naturally I want to propagate the mango tree like what I saw on that rose bush,” he said. The 300-fruit mango tree is inspired by a hybrid rose bush. At the age of 17, Mr. Khan successfully grafted 7 varieties of mango into one tree. After the flood killed the tree, he determined to learn more about grafting in the family orchard. Over the years, Khan has been steadily improving his art of grafting. In 1987, he started grafting different varieties onto a 100-year-old mango tree. These mango varieties were collected by him from all over the country, including rare varieties. Mr. Khan said that the tree currently has more than 300 types of mangoes and he calls it Al Muquaraar. “Miracle Mango Tree” has a wide canopy, large enough to accommodate 15 people sitting under it. The branches are heavy with fruit with leaves of different colors such as gray green or olive green … The mango fruit on each branch also has its own shape: round or oval, some green, yellow, others have orange, pink and purple. The variety of each type is identified by a small label on the stalk: Dasheri mango from a nearby village, Himsagar from West Bengal, Langra from Bihar or prized Alphonso mango, sweet, saffron-colored mango in demand. high domestically and internationally. Mr. Khan’s three famous mango varieties are Tommy Atkins, Suvarnarekha, and Husn-e-Ara. “This miraculous mango tree is not just a tree, but an orchard, a universe,” said Khan. Free fruit donation, breed new breeds When asked how to protect trees from birds and insects, Mr. Khan said: “I don’t drive them away. The well-being of nature is for all to share.” During the harvest season, Khan and his son pack farm produce for sale and export. They give free fruit of “miracle tree” to visitors to the garden. “Like two kids from the same parents but different in looks and personality, mangoes sprouting from the same seed can also be completely different,” Khan said of each mango, as if it were kids. In addition to grafting, Mr. Khan also bred new varieties of mango, experimented with flavor and texture and gave them creative names. He named his new mango variety after Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Namo Aam) and Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai. Khan said: “I created a mango after the famous cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. He called to thank him and expressed his happiness.” Most recently, he named two new mangoes “doctor aam” and “police aam” to thank the work of the rescue pioneers during the pandemic. Many famous people visited Mr. Khan’s farm. Mr. Khan won many awards, including the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards, and recorded in the Limca record book. He visited Dubai and Iran to teach the art of grafting. In 1999, he created a mango tree with more than 54 varieties for the Mughal garden inside Rastrapathi Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India. “Mango grafting is just an art and has no commercial value,” said DK Sharma, vice president of the Mango Growers Association of India. Mr. Khan disagrees, saying that grafting is very common in commercial fruit and nut production. He considers it an art of practical value.

That is because the farmer owns a grafted mango tree to create 300 different types of mango per tree.

Mr. Kalimullah Khan has been passionate about grafting mangoes on the same tree since he was 17 years old.

The man with a skillful hand is called Kalimullah Khan, 80 years old, also nicknamed “the mango man”.

The mango varieties he grafted onto trees were brought from a nearby village or from other locations across India.

Currently, India is the largest mango producer in the world with 40% of global production and the country has up to 1000 different varieties of mango.

The special thing is that Kalimullah Khan has not finished high school and has cultivated on the agricultural land left by his grandfather with the support of his son.

Mango tree with 300 different fruits impresses many people when coming here.

At the age of 15, Mr. Khan was delighted to see hybrid roses planted in a friend’s garden.

On a persimmon tree there are flowers of different colors that motivates him to think of a unique mango tree with many fruits. At the age of 17, Mr. Khan grafted 7 different types of mango on the same tree. Unfortunately, flash floods caused this tree to be damaged, but this old man still retains his passion.

Today, he personally creates many different varieties of mango and is known by everyone.

In 1987, Kalimullah Khan started grafting different types of mango onto a 100-year-old mango tree. In addition to grafting, he also created new varieties of mango and named after famous people in the fields …

Currently, he has a farm located in a belt specializing in growing mango up to 10,000 hectares of India. During the harvest season, he and his son pick mangoes and put them in barrels for sale, export or give them free of charge to visitors.

Many famous people visited Mr. Khan’s farm. This old man also won many awards including Padma Shri – the noble award in India.

He also went to Dubai and Iran to teach grafting, in 1999 he created 54 different varieties of mango trees for Mughal gardens in the presidential mansion of India.