Traditional mud stoves, which depend on the forest for fuel, have been replaced by eco-friendly ‘chulhas’ in over a hundred households inside Valmiki Tiger Reserve. These green stoves are expected to cut firewood fuel use by 40 percent and thus helping the forest to rejuvenate. The households are part of 25 revenue villages in Done Valley, spread over 45 sq km in the heart of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve. The project is being implemented by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and seven villages are currently part of the initiative, with the others being taken up in phases. Valmiki Tiger Reserve is home to 11 tigers and extends in the North to Chitwan National Park in Nepal, providing hundreds of miles of contiguous forest cover.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Germany’s Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union are supporters of the project.