‘Pet’ project to keep its memories green forever

When his grandmother passed away last year, Pramodh Chandrasekhar was heartbroken and wanted to do something in her memory. But his plans didn’t work out and during that time, one of his friends suggested to do something for mourning pet owners to remember their beloved animals. The youngster, who champions for environment conservation, decided to club both the ideas and started an initiative called Last Ripple that creates biodegradable urns to collect the ash of the pet. A sapling is then planted on top of it, which later grows into a memory tree.

“Losing a pet is a sad experience for any pet parent. I have a vision which can change the way we look at death and start believing that life just evolves into another form and does not end at some point. By planting a tree for every memory, I would also be able to spread the message of conservation. There was an age-old tradition of planting a tree for every occasion — be it the birth, marriage, or even death of a person. They used to do it in memory of that particular event and through Last Ripple, I am trying to bring the tradition back. This is a way of rethinking life and creating memory forests instead of graveyards,” says the third-year law student at Christ University, Bengaluru.

So far, Pramodh has done plantations in Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai. “Pet parents can choose the seedling from our collection and it will be delivered along with our planting system. They can fill the cremated remains at the bottom which is separated from the nutritious soil and the seedling. Once the sapling is planted they can place a geo-tag near the plant for easy identification. Most of the pet parents (clients) prefer either bonsai plant or flowering plants like hibiscus which they keep inside their home. Those who believe that the ashes of the dead shouldn’t be kept inside the house prefer planting the trees either in the garden or elsewhere,” explains Pramodh.

He receives calls from across the country asking what to do with the deceased pets. “A few think that Last Ripple is a pet crematorium! I correct them and patiently listen to grieving pet parents and assist them,” the law student shares.

Pramodh also questions urbanites’ ‘don’t care’ attitude when it comes to nature conservation.

“Living in Bengaluru, I’ve hardly seen people coming forward to do something for the environment. People complain about the water crisis and air pollution. If we had a good green cover, we wouldn’t be facing all this,” he stresses.

He wants to become a social entrepreneur and he hopes through the initiative he could bring a difference in the society.