Raipur women make eco-friendly diyas from cow dung to celebrate clean, green Diwali

Women of Self Help Groups (SHGs) of Ban-Charauda in Raipur are making around 2 lakh eco-friendly diyas from cow dung to help people celebrate cleaner and greener Diwali.

A lot of women who never even thought of earning for themselves are now making a decent amount of money by making beautiful eco-friendly cow dung diyas here.

"We started making these diyas from September 9 onwards and this entire work of is being carried out by a village association--Mahila Shakti. We have received an order of 2 lakh diyas and we are working on it. We do make lord idols and other items made from cow dung and premix powder," said Mamata Chandrakar, a senior member of the self-help group.

"We are selling these diyas at a very minimal price. Small diyas are for Rs 5 and hand coloured diyas are for Rs 10. Tiny diyas cost Rs 2 each," Mamata added.

These cow dung diyas have already received advance orders in bulk from cities across India.

"We make around 500-600 diyas in a day and earn around Rs 250 each day. This way we are able to earn Rs 6,000-Rs 7,000 per month," said Tukeshwari Chandrakar, a member of the self-help group.

Needless to say, these women are working day and night to keep up with the market demand and complete their orders on time.

"50 per cent of the cow dung is used to produce manure but we utilise five per cent of the products in making value-added products. Cow dung diyas hold a unique significance and women here work hard to make diyas and earn their livelihood," said Gaurav Singh, Zila Parishad (District Council).

"The Gauthan committee is also monitoring this work. Women who never even thought about earning for themselves are worried about completing their orders today by the medium of this work. This will not only boost the economy but these women will gain self-confidence by indulging in this work," he added.