New Delhi:The Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA) on Monday started a nationwide campaign to celebrate a pollution-free Deepawali, by introducing a whole series of products made from, hold your breath, cow-dung!
Encouraged by the response to Gaumaya Ganesha campaign, in which the cow-dung or Panchgavya was used extensively in products during Ganesh Chaturthi, the RKA has started a nationwide campaign to celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali, with the help of cow-dung products, said RKA Chairman Vallabhbhai Kathiria.
''In this 'Kamdhenu Deepawali Abhiyan' this year, RKA is promoting the use of cow dung based Diyas, Candles, Dhoop, Agarbatti, Shubh-Labh, Swastik, Samrani, Hardboard, Wall-piece, Paper-weight, Havan samagri, and Idols of Lord Ganesha and Lakshmiji,'' he said.
The RKA aims at reaching 11 crore families to ignite 33 crore diyas made of cow-dung during this year's Deepawali festival, added Dr Kathiria.
He said, ''We are happy to announce that feedback we have received till now is very encouraging and around three lakh diyas will be ignited in Lord Ram's Ayodhya alone, while one lakh diyas will be lit in the holy city of Varanasi. Many more cities, towns and villages and crores of houses will be lit by these diyas.
''Apart from generating business opportunities to thousands of cow-based entrepreneurs/farmers/women entrepreneurs, the use of these eco-friendly products will lead to a cleaner and healthier environment. It will also lead to the Gaushalas becoming Atma Nirbhar,'' added the RKA Chairman.
The RKA was constituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the conservation, protection and development of cows and their progeny and for giving direction to the cattle development programmes.
It is high-powered permanent body to formulate policy and provide direction to the implementation of schemes related to cattle, so as to give more emphasis on livelihood generation. Livestock economy sustains nearly 73 million households in rural areas of the country.(UNI)