The Bihar government has installed a net across the Ganges in Ranighat on the Uttar Pradesh border after at least 71 dead bodies were fished out from the river. The authorities claimed that the bodies had flown downstream from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
The corpses were found floating in the river in Buxar district, triggering suspicion that the abandoned corpses could be those of COVID-19 patients.
"A net has been placed in the Ganges in Ranighat, bordering UP and Bihar. We have advised the UP administration to be vigilant. Our administration is keeping vigil, too. Advise all to give respect to the dead and also to Maa Ganga," said Bihar Water Resources Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha.
He said the doctors, who performed the post-mortem of these bodies, had confirmed that the deaths had taken place four to five days ago, a clear indication that they had floated into Bihar from Uttar Pradesh.
A few news channels had reported that these bodies might be of COVID-19 patients who were abandoned by their resource-starved family members or dumped by callous officials. The local administration, however, has denied these reports.
