How do you dispose of torn sacred literature and damaged religious objects that can no longer be used? This is a predicament faced by the faithful from all religions.
There are rules on how the materials should be treated. However, in cities with complex waste dumping issues, there are problems in disposing of sacred stuff in a dignified manner.
The Green Star Trust in Khar West, provides a solution. The group collects worn-out Korans from masjids, homes, and graveyards across the city, ensuring that the books get a sanctified disposal. The group also gets old Bibles and Gitas that are similarly disposed of. The organisation was especially created to stop disrespect or behurmati of the Koran.
Green Star Trust places specially designed collection boxes are being installed inside various mosques, allowing community members to deposit old Korans and other religious scriptures free of charge. Haji Sameer Khan of Green Star Trust said that once a Koran is worn-out, people face a dilemma. "The right thing to do is to bury it, immerse it in water, or burn it and bury the ashes. This is often not possible in cities. Sometimes, people leave the old books at mosques where they collect in heaps. If the books end up in bins or with scrap paper traders, there can be misunderstanding and the issue can become sensitive," said Khan.
Sometimes, people leave worn out copies of the Koran at graveyards. The books collected by the trust donation boxes and graveyards are sent to a sorting centre. Books that have minimal damage - nearly a quarter of the lot - are restored and distributed to poor families and madrassas. Sometimes, fresh binding makes the books as good as new. During floods in August 2021, the trust donated restored books to madrassas and mosques across Maharashtra. The unusable copies are shred, burnt, and disposed of.
The mix of materials used in binding the books make the disposal process more complex. "There are plastic covers, acrylic cloth, and chemically treated paper that take a long time to decompose in the soil," said Khan.
