The hunt for 100 families of smokeless chulhas (Stove) is over in Rayagada district.

Caritas India through its partner RDSSS (SWAD) has provided SARALA Smokeless chulha to the 100 HH’s in the project villages. A detailed training on the usage of smokeless chulha, its usefulness and technical support for its installation was also provided to the families.

More than 68% rural Indian and around 87% of rural India Household use woods(firewood) or bushes or shrubs to cook food, it has very less efficiency level (6-8%), hazardous to health especially to women and children are at high risk due to prolonged exposure to smoke, children not able to go to school due to bad health.

The population of this district consists mainly of tribal and indigenous people and generates income mainly through marginal livelihood activities most of them are cultivators, agricultural laborer and doing agro-based activities. The tribal women collect woods from the jungle for cooking. These traditional chulas (stoves)  increases indoor pollution, drudgery for women and children. In broader picture somehow, it is also contributing to deforestation, global warming, forest biomass reduction, forest ecology disturbance etc.

According to the WHO, health data estimated 4.3 million people die annually from household air pollution caused by cooking with biomass and coal. These chulhas release large amounts of smoke, causing damage to rural health as well as increasing the risk of household fires. It is the greatest health risk in the world after high blood pressure, tobacco and alcohol. More people are dying from the incremental, ongoing inhalation of smoke from fires they ignite in their homes than from malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined.

Smokeless household stoves are more fuel efficient than the conventional stoves with fuel efficiency up to 35-40%. Annually 500 kg of fuelwood can be saved from each stove. Smokeless household stoves typically consist of 2 pans with 1 fuel feeding port.

Maria Lima from Chatenpur Village shares, “Earlier I used to cook in open chulha with very limited efficiency which took much of my precious time and I was not able to focus on my children and family; due to this, my daily household work was suffering. I developed many health issues such as breathing problem, children were not able to study, the dirty smoke remained inside the house.

After the installation of smokeless chulha, my life has completely changed, cooking efficiency has increased, health has improved, my house became smoke-free and these chulhas are environment-friendly too.

“I never imagined my life beyond the kitchen and smoke. I now can cook with less firewood with less smoke. And it is also very handy to operate, it is environment-friendly, it reduces deforestation, increases forest biomass. It helped me to stand on my own feet and made me self-reliable. I extended my gratitude towards Caritas India and SWAD for this healthy gift for my family”. – Contributed by Smt. Kalabat Breakbeda from Borchiguda Village.