Kendrapada: A severe shortage of LPG has forced many people in rural areas of Kendrapada district to switch back to cow-dung cakes for cooking causing a massive surge in demand.“Cow-dung cake has become a valuable commodity, with increased sales in local markets and a significant increase in rural populations,” said Minati Behera, a housewife of Silipur village.“We started using LPG in the 1990s and before that we were using fuel wood, coal and cow-dung cakes for cooking. Using it now is no problem for us. But my daughter-in-law is not accustomed to cooking with cow-dung cakes, for which now I have to help her,” said Saraswati Das (67) of Bharatpur village. Niharika Jena (34) of Garadapur village has set up a temporary kitchen in her garden to cook food on a hearth fred by cow dung.After collecting the dung, we make cow-dung cakes by drying them under the sun. “We are happy due to the increasing demand for cow-dung cakes. We make 40 to 70 cow dung cakes a day and earn around Rs 200 to Rs 300 ,” said Sabi Mandal ( 25) of Kansarabadadandua village.Many villagers who live around Bhitarkanika National Park cannot venture into the nearby mangrove forest to collect firewood as it is an offence. They are also dependant on cow-dung cakes, said Prasana Parida, sarpanch of Satabhaya gram panchayat.Most cow dung cake makers live below the poverty line and have no choice but to involve their children in this work, said Biraja Pati, a social worker of Kendrapada.
