NEW DELHI • India's coronavirus caseload passed the nine million mark yesterday, as hospitals in the capital New Delhi came under increasing pressure and graveyards began to fill up.

The world's second worst-hit country in terms of the number of Covid-19 cases has now also registered more than 132,000 deaths, according to the latest official figures, which are widely seen as understating the true scale of infection.

India has seen a drop in daily cases over the past month, but it is still registering about 45,000 new infections on average every day.

New Delhi - facing the dual scourge of winter pollution and the pandemic - has seen infections soar past half a million, with a record rise in daily cases. On Thursday, the city's government quadrupled fines for not wearing a mask in an effort to tackle the outbreak.

At one of Delhi's largest cemeteries, burial space is fast running out, said gravedigger Mohammed Shamim.

"Initially when the virus broke (out), I thought I'll bury 100 to 200 people and it'll be done. But the current situation is beyond my wildest thoughts," he said.

"I only have space left for about 50 to 60 burials. Then what? I have no idea."

India imposed a stringent lockdown in March, but restrictions have been gradually eased as the government seeks to reboot the economy after the loss of millions of jobs. Experts say this has allowed the disease to spread, as has a general reluctance to wear masks and maintain social distancing.

But those restrictions are now coming back.

The authorities in the western city of Ahmedabad have imposed a complete curfew over the weekend.

"During this period, only shops selling milk and medicines shall be permitted to remain open," local official Rajiv Kumar Gupta said.

Dr Anand Krishnan, a community medicine professor at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said: "The increase in numbers of cases is a concern, primarily because it is driven by people not following the basic protocol of Covid-19-appropriate behaviour."

Dr Hemant Shewade, a Bangalore-based community medicine expert, said it was likely that cases outside major towns and cities were not being taken into account in the official numbers.

He added: "My guess is that it is spreading slowly and silently in rural areas."

In Delhi, the spectre of the virus wreaking havoc has come back to haunt its 20 million residents, as families scramble to get hospital beds. Over 90 per cent of intensive care beds with ventilators were occupied as at Thursday, a government mobile app showed.

Distraught families made fervent pleas on social media, tagging Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for help in securing beds.

Under pressure to control the new wave, Mr Kejriwal on Thursday announced the addition of 1,400 intensive care beds.

Mr Jeevendra Srivastava, a 47-year-old advertising professional, said Delhi was paying the price for overcrowding during the ongoing festive season.

"It's shocking how a few people are still not taking this deadly virus seriously," he said.

"People are still going to crowded places without masks. It's because of this irresponsible behaviour that now almost every second house has a case of the virus."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE