Small organisations think big for a greener Earth

The Alinan Ramakrishna Vivekananda Yuva Sangha of East Midnapore has successfully set up fuel-efficient crematoriums in 17 villages. This has led to a drastic cut in the use of wood for burning bodies.

“Generally five quintals of wood is required to burn a body. But with this crematorium, the wood requirement has been cut down to half, thereby making it more eco-friendly,” said Shyamal Mukherjee, a member of the Sangha.

The fuel-efficient crematorium was based on designs by the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), an autonomous body under the ministry of Rural Development. “We have further improvised it to suit local needs,” said Mukherjee.

The crematorium is a closed chamber with openings on the parallel walls for proper ventilation. The wall is constructed of fire bricks which absorb the heat inside. The body is placed on an iron grate which is a feet above the floor. The iron grate absorbs the heat and recycles the heat energy.

The Sangha has also installed 15,000 smokeless chullahs in Alinan and its adjoining villages. It has won the first prize in the NGO sector.

The Bristol Petroleum Private Limited, another environment-friendly enterprise, has invented the process of refining and treating the waste or used oil for further usage.

“We have a wide network that spreads across various garages, workshops and ports. The waste oil is collected and brought to the refinery for treatment. This prevents the seepage of oil into the soil,” said KK Gupta Director Bristol Petroleum.