Meet Gyanendra Agarwal, who is burning tonnes of wood to 'save' the planet

The organisers claim that yagya was the preferred ancient Hindu method to purify air

Deteriorating air quality has compelled governments to take stringent steps to reclaim some breathing space for their citizenry. Citizen action has often been vigorous too. But then there’s the bizarre, bordering on the criminal: how else can one describe one particular citizen’s initiative of sponsoring a mahayagya (fire ritual) that involves burning some 50 tonnes of wood to “combat air pollution” and “save the ozone layer”?
 
The mahayagya, currently underway at the Bhainsali ground in Meerut district, Western Uttar Pradesh, will end on March 26. But not before enormous quantities of mango wood and edible items — including 12 tonnes