Damauli, December 9

With persisting shortage of cooking gas due to due to the blockade at the Indian border, locals of 13 VDCs have started using improvised stoves, replacing gas stoves, in Tanahun, of late.

Residents of Arunoday, Devghat, Bhanumati, Thaprek, Chhipchhipe, Satiswara, Firfire, Risti,   Mirlung, Kihu, Bhirkot, Ramjakot and Ghasikuwa VDCs of the district have started constructing and using improvised stoves. Such stoves are environment-friendly as well, said local housewives.

Department of Energy at District Development Committee and Rural Empowerment Society, Tanahun, jointly organised a nine-day training on constructing various types of stoves.

As many as 20 women of the areas attended the training. “At a time when the entire country is reeling under fuel crisis, the training was held aiming to help rural folks adopt an alternative to firewood for cooking,” said organisers.

DDC Engineer Prakash Bhandari said the move may contribute in such a way that all the district folks might have smokeless kitchens.

Pawan Acharya, Engineer at Rural Empowerment Society, said they were planning to declare Risti, Kota, Ghising, Shyamgha and Satiswara VDCs as smokeless kitchen VDCs this fiscal.

According to statistics, as many as 14,550 households of the district have started to use smokeless improvised stoves, which can be constructed using local resources and may cost around Rs 800 to 1,000 per stove, said sources.