Delhi woman, 26, performs last rites of unclaimed bodies, personal tragedy motivates her
New Delhi (PTI): Transforming grief into a mission, a 26-year-old woman in Delhi has been performing the last rites of unclaimed bodies for nearly two years now, right after losing her brother to a tragic death.
Pooja Sharma, a resident of the Shahdara locality has performed the last rites of several bodies that remained unclaimed in hospitals for long and possibly had no family connections to give them a dignified funeral.
"In the last two years, I have performed the last rites of around 4,000 bodies with no known family or connections," Sharma claimed.
"I lost my brother on March 13, 2022 to a tragic murder. Since then, I have turned my personal tragedy into a source of solace for others," she added.
Shedding light on the tragic incident that changed the course of her life, Pooja told PTI, "My elder brother, who was 30-year-old, was shot dead in front of me in a small fight and after hearing this news, my father went into coma."
Right after the second day of performing the last rituals for her brother, Pooja made an unwavering commitment to help others.
Since that fateful day, Pooja has extended her caring touch beyond her immediate family, managing the tasks and responsibilities of those who are left with no one to look after them.
"I used to contact the police and government hospitals to seek information about bodies whose families or whereabouts remained unknown initially."
However, now the police and government hospitals reach out to me if they have any information about an unclaimed body, she added.
Pooja claims to arrange for the last rites of these bodies with her grandfather's pension.
"It takes around Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 for performing the rituals. I stay with my father and grandmother, and my father works as a contract-based driver in Delhi Metro. With my grandfather's pension, I arrange everything," she said.
Highlighting the challenges and social prejudice faced by her for doing this work, Pooja said, "Many people see the work that I do as a taboo and my friends' families don't allow them to meet me."
Her marriage prospects have taken a back seat because of this, she said, adding that she has Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees.
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Bengaluru airport introduces AI-based system to enhance safety at vehicle-aircraft intersections
Bengaluru: Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has introduced an integrated smart airside safety system at Kempegowda International Airport to improve operational safety at key intersection zones.
According to The Hindu, the system has been designed to enhance safety at Cross Service Roads (CSRs), where aircraft and ground vehicle movements intersect.
According to BIAL, the system integrates AI-based computer vision, automation, and centralised monitoring to manage right-of-way movements and reduce the risk of human error.
“CRSs are among the most sensitive areas within airport operations, requiring precise and seamless coordination between aircraft and ground vehicles. Traditionally, right of way protection at these intersections relied on manual or semi-manual inset light activation, creating dependencies on human intervention, increasing the risk of delays and limiting operational visibility,” TH quoted BIAL as saying.
The new system uses real-time detection of vehicle movement, risk assessment, and automated signalling. AI-enabled cameras identify potential conflicts and trigger automated inset light signals to ensure aircraft priority. Normal operations resume once the area is confirmed clear.
“Based on these detections, the system triggers automated inset light activation to protect aircraft right‑of‑way and restores normal signalling once the intersection is confirmed clear. A centralised monitoring and analytics platform digitally logs all events, strengthening governance, compliance, and operational control,” BIAL said.
By embedding technology into operations, the system creates a data-driven separation layer between aircraft and ground vehicles, significantly reducing human error, especially during night and low-visibility conditions.
“Precision-led signal activation improves traffic flow, minimises unnecessary stoppage and enhances turnaround efficiency. It also establishes a scalable foundation for predictive safety analytics, enabling trend analysis, peak-hour optimisation, compliance mapping and risk forecasting to support continuous improvement and stronger airside governance,” BIAL said.
