Silchar: All 70 households in the village of Forest Bishnupur Cachar now have a unique cooking stove made of soil, cow dung, and rice husk.
It not only consumes 40% less firewood but also provides 100% smokeless kitchen in the village.
Last week, the environment and the Ministry of Forestry officially stated it as the first smokeless village in Assam.
According to the Ministry of Health Union, 83% of women living in Indian countryside died due to inhalation of smoke in the kitchen.
The first smoke village in Assam was part of an initiative carried out by a project called “National Mitigation Initiative” (name).
This initiative is underway in various parts of the country to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Bidhan Mohanta, a local consultant from the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) who is heading for smokeless movements in the village, saying that they must start with the awareness campaign to make people understand the bad effects of smoke produced when they cook with them firewood.
Mohanta said that this project was carried out together by the Assam Forest Department, the Energy Development Agency Assam (Aeda) and the Assam Branch of the Indian Tea Association (ABITA) together under the name.
According to Teri consultants, a total of 70 households throughout the village have built a smoke kitchen with this enhanced cooking stove.
“Our survey found that in the traditional cooking process, a family of four people with cattle need 16 kg of firewood per day and 5.5 tons of firewood in a year.
This improved stove leads to consumption of fuel at least 40% less,” said Mohanta.
He told me that the chimney was provided free of charge by the Ministry of Forestry and Agency.
“People in other villages are also excited about the new idea and ask for the Ministry of Forestry to install it in their village, he added.
Maya Bauri, a village woman said,” As a result of cooking in this oven, 8-9 kg of firewood is being consumed every day.
At the same time, cooking is being carried out in a lower time.
After the stove becomes hot, it’s not easy to cool.
So food can stay warm for hours.
“According to a senior Cachar Forest official, there are plans to implement projects in 5,000 homes in 40 forest villages in this district.
According to the 2011 census, 82% of Assam’s household or more than 48 people really depend on firewood.