'Goshala' In Odisha Comes Up With Eco-Friendly Cow Dung Logs For Cremation

Cuttack: At a time when massive efforts are being made for afforestation, the use of large amount of wood for cremation across India is a major cause of concern. However to deal with this, a 'goshala' (cow shelter) in Cuttack has come up with a unique way to replace wood with cow dung 'logs' for cremation.

Gopalkrushna Goshala at Nayabazar in the Millennium city is making 'eco-friendly’ logs made out of cow dung that can be used for cremation. These logs are made with the help of a machine and minimal labour.

"Cow dung is stored in an open space for 10-15 days to make it dry. Then it is put into the machine to give them shape of logs," said machine operator, Arun Mallick.

The logs, once made, reportedly get ready for use within a month provided the weather is dry.

These logs not only help save money but also protect the forests, said Ganesh Prasad Kandoi, secretary of the cow shelter which has over 2,000 cows.

"When one uses wood for cremation, it costs around Rs 3,000, but the same can be done by using the cow dung logs by spending just Rs 1000-Rs 1200," he said.

Kandoi further said that such machines have been installed at other cow shelters in Balasore.

So far, around 20 cremations have reportedly been performed by using the cow dung firewood in Cuttack.