PHOTO: REUTERS

A new trend: Sales of coffins see an upsurge in K-P

Covid-19 SOPs say deceased should be taken to cemetery in coffin under supervision of special team


Ahtisham Khan July 24, 2020
PESHAWAR:

Coffins are of paramount importance for the burial of people who have died of Covid-19. Ever since the government made it mandatory to use proper coffins for such burial, the demand for coffins has rapidly surged. As per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid out for coronavirus-related burials, the deceased should be taken to cemeteries under the supervision of a special team.

According to coffin makers, the demand for coffins from various hospitals has increased since the outbreak. Owing to the lockdown and the closure of businesses, however, coffin makers had to face difficulties in supplying coffins as per the demand of the hospitals.

Coffin makers said that the lockdown severely restricted the supply of raw materials required to make the coffins. Nonetheless, manufacturers saw increased sales which greatly helped their businesses. The artisans worked day and night in three shifts and ensured the production and timely supply of the required number of coffins.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, coffin makers said their customers belong to the city as well as surrounding areas. Following the outbreak, the use of coffins has become a tradition in the inner city of Peshawar.

There is an old artisan market in Yakatoot Munda Beri area where the coffin-making industry has been operational for the last 40 years. From this market, coffins are sent to various cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and tribal districts.

Shopkeepers said their businesses had never seen such a boost as before the pandemic, coffins were not commonly used for burial in Peshawar.

A shopkeeper at the coffin market Sheheryar Khan said his business skyrocketed between March and June.

“We received the order to make 100 coffins a week and then we had to take the coffins to the hospital for the coronavirus patients,” he said. “We also received a separate order of 100 coffins a week from the Medical Complex Hospital and the supply continued until June. Due to heavy workload, we have been making coffins in three shifts. It is a very challenging task for the artisans but since we have a lot of orders, it motivates workers to go the extra mile.

According to Shehryar, the combined price for a shroud and a coffin is Rs4,000, of which Rs2,700 is the price of the coffin alone.

“The coffin market has three different shops. Each shop has around five artisans who would construct 15 coffins a day on average,” he explained. “Our business was much better during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even those who had not died of the virus are being preferably buried in coffins as a precautionary measure against the virus. People now consider coffins to be an important part of their protection and safety against the spread of Covid-19.”

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2020.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ