IFAW-WTI, an NGO involved in community-based conservation in Manas, said this improvised cooking stove will reduce the villagers' dependence on firewood. The stoves, installed in 182 households, are expected to save at least 1,000 trees annually as fuel consumption is reduced by about one kg per person per day.
The organization said the cooking stoves have been installed in three clusters of villages around Manas National Park and Manas reserve forest. The stoves are fabricated using local raw materials like soil, cow dung, rice husk and iron bars. These stoves are designed to maximize fuel efficiency, IFAW-WTI added.
"We wanted to bring down tree felling and reduce the quantum of wood extracted from the forests. According to our calculation, wood used for fuel before and after installation of the stove reduced by 0.92 kg of wood per individual per day," said IFAW-WTI sociologist Sanatan Deka.
A pre-installation study of these families revealed the per capita wood consumption in a traditional cooking stove was 2.73 kg a day. After the improvised cooking stoves were installed, the per capita fuel wood consumption dropped to 1.81 kg per day, which is a reduction of about 33.6%.
However, IFAW-WTI added that the calculation on the number of trees saved by this initiative could vary depending on the species of trees.
Deka said the stoves also produce less smoke, making them a healthier alternative for these families.
"Less smoke means it is beneficial to our health. The earlier stoves used to produce a lot of smoke. But the new stove is completely smokeless" said former secretary of Kahitama Manas Conservation and Ecotourism Development Society Deepen Goyari.
The improvised stoves maximize efficiency by reducing heat wastage.
"These cook stoves are designed to benefit the forest fringe villagers. People have enthusiastically welcomed the change because they understood its value," added another IFAW-WTI sociologist Samar Boro.
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