Meet Lucknow's Varsha Verma, Who Is Performing Last Rites Of Unclaimed COVID Dead Bodies

A 42-year-old woman from Lucknow is leading by example in fighting the humanitarian crisis amid the raging COVID pandemic in one of the worst affected cities in Uttar Pradesh.

¡®Ek Koshish Aisi Bhi', an NGO run by Varsha Verma, is helping people ferry the dead bodies of COVID patients to the cremation ground and performing their last rites.

The second wave of COVID is wreaking havoc in Lucknow, and amid the challenge, Varsha and her team have become a ray of hope for hundreds of people who have lost someone to the deadly pandemic.

Varsha Verma

It all started two years ago when she lost a friend and had to wait for several hours to get a hearse van for cremation.

She vowed to not let others go through the suffering.

She rented a van and modified it into an ambulance, and is now using it to cremate unclaimed bodies.

"Family members are terrified of being around the dead body of a COVID patient. Protocol suggests wearing a PPE when going near a body, but most people do not have one. Me and my team wear the PPE kits, gloves and masks and perform the last rites," Varsha tells Indiatimes.

Her team is mostly stationed around the hospitals, receiving frantic calls from people 24x7.

Some people misuse the service

Varsha says there are some people who misuse the service in such desperate times.

Varsha Verma

"I once received a call saying a woman has died in Krishna Nagar. She has no one. I rushed with my team only to see that the deceased woman's relatives were sitting in a Fortuner, but did not want to touch the body. They performed last rites after we brought the body to the cremation ground," she says.

"Sometimes I work alone. Team is always on their toes and they need rest too. When they are away, I swing into action to cremate the dead. Sometimes, I pack the dead bodies all by myself and take them to the cremation ground. The work is challenging but I feel it is my responsibility to give a proper funeral."

Varsha says she is managing all of the work without any government support. "If I get any form of assistance, I can work more and help people more."