Biharis are getting eco-friendly day by day. If you wont believe, take a visit of Valmiki Tiger Reserve in West Champaran district of Bihar and you would be amazed to see the Green Stoves used by the local villagers for cooking and other household activities.
This Green Stove (Chulha) is expected to cut the fuel requirement by 40 % causing less cut-down of forests which in turn would keep the natural habitat of Tigers intact. Technically, an iron gate provided just above the base provides room for air circulation causing maximum fuel utilization.
This development has come after the initiatives taken by a NGO Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) , which is implementing this project inside the Forest.
A Pune based research organisation Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI) was intially contacted to train the local women population. The installation to other houses was done by these women generating another source of employment for them. The mud chimneys for the stoves also brought brisk business for the village potter. Those who wanted to install the chulha contacted these women who charged them an installation fee.
The WTI Team regularly monitored the installation and the usage of the Chulha.