It was during a cremation five years ago that Vijay Limaye wondered how many trees must have been ‘killed’ to ensure ‘ moksha ’ (salvation) for the departed soul. It was then that the concept of a ‘green cremation’ struck him and he began a venture that has won praise from various quarters, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at an event in Delhi on August 22, Mr. Modi lauded the Nagpur-based entrepreneur for his efforts to protect the environment.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation, in association with Limaye’s NGO Eco Friendly Living Foundation, is planning to offer eco-friendly cremations at four crematoriums, the entrepreneur said.
“Cremation using agro-waste briquettes along with LPG crematoria will be introduced at these four places,” he said.
“Taking into account sentiments and traditions where rituals like funeral pyre are needed, I began working on an alternative to wood,” Mr. Limaye said. “Initially, dung cakes were promoted but after the number of people choosing the dung cake method increased, we were faced with a shortage of dung cakes.”
Mr. Limaye then began searching for an alternative to dung cakes and his team succeeded in making hard bricks with the right mixture of agro waste, named Mokshkastha, with which to cremate the dead.
