The shades of dusk are falling -- it is time to exit this space. But people continue to come in with their dead. The quiet synonymous with a cremation ground is replaced by ambulance sirens, relatives in PPE suits and crackling of burning wood. The cremation grounds at Sector 25 in Chandigarh has never witnessed so many pyres ever since it was established decades back. Equipped to handle 50 cremations at a given time, it is running to almost full capacity ever since the second wave of Covid-19 struck.

Sanjeev Kumar, 28, who has been working here for the past seven years starts at 6 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. He says it is tough to take a break too nowadays. Being inside the PPE kit for hours on end is now taking its toll. "The weather, the heat from the pyres, and this kit over clothes -- so many times I feel I am having an anxiety attack. Not to mention, one gets dehydrated very soon." Adding that while there is a rush of Covid-19 bodies, the situation is not as bleak as Delhi where there is a wait for hours, Kumar says here they are ensuring that the relatives get to be part of the last rites, while following all the protocols.