Green vows

We want to replace the wood with bio-mass fuel. We want to increase the efficiency of the fuel, says Usman Rahim Ahmad,who is leading Mercy Corps projects in the Valley.

In Kashmir,the wazwan,comprising seven mutton dishes kebab,rista,gushtab,tabkhmaz,rogan josh,aab gosh and yakhni,is an integral part of the marriage ceremonies and these dishes are prepared over two days on burning wooden logs set up in the open. On an average,five quintals of wood are burnt during one marriage ceremony, says Ahmad. We want to reduce this number.

Mercy Corps is working on a plan to find a substitute for wood. There can be many substitutes like leaves,weeds from the Dal lake or other wastages, says Ahmad.

The organisation believes that the best way to make people aware of green weddings is by demonstrating it to them. We are already in touch with some young entrepreneurs, says Ahmad. Once we show them how it works,we will help them set up their own units.

With the Copenhagen talks failing to arrive at a new deal on the climate,Kashmir,among the worlds ecologically fragile regions,is coming up with solutions to check its carbon footprint.

This initiative by Mercy Corps comes after the musical concert it organised by Terra Naomi to create awareness about the receding glaciers of Kashmir Valley.