While the authorities race against time to identify the victims of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad and find out what exactly caused the mishap, some 100 km away in Vadodara, coffin-maker Nelvin Rajwadi has been working non-stop to ensure the victims’ remains can be sent to their families with dignity.
Late on Friday night, Rajwadi received an urgent order for 100 coffins. “I received a call from Air India around 10.30 pm. They asked how many coffins I had ready. I informed them that we don’t keep coffins in stock — we make them to order,” Rajwadi told Sunday mid-day.
“They explained the situation and asked me to start making 50 coffins immediately. Just 30 minutes later, the same officer called again and increased the order to 100 coffins. He also mentioned they might need up to 250-270 coffins, and further orders would follow,” he added.
Rajwadi, who has been running his coffin-making workshop in Fatehganj, Vadodara, for the past 35 years, began work immediately. “This is the first time I have received such a huge order; it’s really shocking for me to make 100 coffins in just two days.”
He has hired 11 workers to meet the demand and is producing the coffins in a style similar to those used by the Indian Army for martyrs. The standard coffin size being made is 6 feet by 2 feet, with a depth of 1 foot.
Starting at 11 pm on Friday, by the following morning, they had completed 35 coffins, which were then transported to the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.
Rajwadi said, “We are using wooden ply, a layer of polythene, and white cloth to construct each coffin. These are designed to preserve the body for two to three days.
We are also making special coffins for transporting bodies by flight, which include aluminium sheets inside and outside, along with the wooden base and white cloth lining.”
Despite the scale of the order and its urgency, he has decided to charge half the market rate, citing humanitarian grounds. “Normally, we charge Rs 5500 to Rs 6000 per coffin. But due to the tragic nature of this incident, I am charging only for material and transportation costs—Rs 3000 per coffin,” Rajwadi said.
Rs 3000
Amount he is charging Air India per coffin
