Manjit Thakur / New Delhi

In this era of Covid pandemic when many persons dying of the viral disease are not being given proper farewell by their frightened relatives, a group of students from IIT, Delhi, has come forward to give due respect to the dead and also save the environment.

The students working under the banner of Project Earth are associated with Inactus, a non-profit  organization of global students, teachers and businessmen that promotes and mentors entrepreneurship-based projects.

The Project Earth members have helped conduct the last rites of more than 100 bodies in the last ten days. Its convener Sanyam Jain, says, “There are about 16–17 people in our group, ie Project Earth. And we are all trying to help the very poor people, who have to buy expensive wood for cremation of their dear ones and that they can’t afford.”

Project Earth provides free cow dung cakes for the cremation of the bodies of the Covid-dead persons.

A scene at cremation ground

This is not only philanthropy but also a business idea. Jain describes it is ‘start-up’ that will help the poor in cremation and also generate revenues for  gaushalas. Jain explains the model, "Actually, we provide logs made of cow dung for free to the relatives of the deceased. Since our logs (kande) are made of cow dung, there is no problem in using these in the pyre. ”

It started with the idea of ​​helpingGaushalas. The campaign to protect the bovines had led to the influx of cows in gaushalas that were already facing a cash crunch.

Disposal of cow dung became an additional problem for the caretakers. Jain says, "We gave them machthe ines to convert cow dung into logs scientifically. Through the sale of logs, the gaushalas took the abandoned cows as a resource as it improved their financial position. Besides, it also solved the problem of removing the cow dung. "

Now the same cow dung logs are being provided free of cost to the crematoriums under Project Earth. The crematoriums are not supposed to charge the needy and the poor who have to cremate the bodies of their near and dear ones killed by Covid.

Cow dung logs replace wood in cremation

Jain says, "another target of the project is to protect the environment." The less wood is used and replaced by cow dung the better it is for the environment. The use of cow dung logs saves the trees from being cut."

So do they get any help from outside as well. Jain says, their group is doing it all alone and is not even seeking any help