Cooch Behar, Nov. 5: The residents of Babupara in Haldibari call the place Chakghar.

But the nauseating stench of rotting human flesh emanating from the two foot by two foot room overrun by termite mounds and the sickening sight of blood caking the adjoining drain leaves nothing to the imagination.

Hemmed in by residential complexes, two higher secondary schools, three primary schools, a police station, post office and the employment exchange, the 100-year-old morgue, in the heart of Kalibari Nala locality has turned the area into a hell hole.

“After repeated pleas, the state administration finally gave the nod for the construction of a new morgue at the year-old Haldibari Gramin Hospital,” said Gauranga Nag, municipal chairman, Haldibari. “Yet it remains under lock and key.”

Nag believed that the step-motherly treatment doled out by the government stems from the fact that the municipal board is congress led.

Said Nag: “The authorities have turned a deaf ear to our pleas even though they are aware of the fact that this is the only morgue for miles around. But they ignore the our requests only because the civic body is Congress dominated.”

“Children are loath to leave their houses in the evenings because foxes and dogs squabbling over entrails that spill over to the road frightens them. Trolleys dumping dead bodies, not even covered by cloth, in broad daylight is a common sight,” area residents said.

The road leading past the morgue connects to the bus stand, railway station and the local market. Residents, however, prefer to take a circuitous route, because, they allege, “frequently, the autopsy is performed outside the room in full public view.”

“We have sent countless letters to the officials pleading them to make the new morgue functional, but to no avail,” Ashok Sen, a resident rued.

“Children suffer from loss of appetite and stomach ailments are common in the area because of infestation by flies,” a dejected Sen added. With no other morgue in adjoining areas, bodies from as far Manikgunj, Dewangunj, Duikhota and Satkuda are also brought here for autopsy. Chief Medical Officer of Health, Tamasa Roy said that looking after the upkeep of the morgue was not part of their department’s duty. “Police officials have that responsibility,” Roy said. “We are, however, doing our best to relocate the morgue,” the CMOH added. Upendra Nath Sarkar, subdivisional officer, also pleaded helplessness. “I have been here only a short while and have no idea of the state of affairs in the area,” he said. “But I will look into the matter and do what I can to remedy the situation,” he added.