Training on Improved Cooking Stoves (ICS)/ smokeless Chulas at Manmathnagar, Gosaba, Sundarban

Improved Cooking Stoves is the new initiatives of KMWSC in partnership with SAMUCHIT Enviro Tech Pune and Green Energy against Poverty, Germany.  SAMUCHIT, Enviro Tech is a social enterprise, focused on enabling individuals, households, institutions, and small businesses to embrace sustainability in their daily activities.

Solar Project has been extended its work on improved smokeless cooking stoves in the deltaic village of Manmathnagar, Gosaba, Sundarban. This training gives alternative options to generate income to the local people.  The eight days training was started on 29^th October till 5^th November 2017. The training was non residential, trainees came everyday from their homes. There were 13 local villagers among them 7 were female and 6 male. Two experts from SAMUCHIT Pune had come down to Sundarban to give training. The training was more of practical than theoretical. The trainees did practical over and again. The trainees learnt to install single pot, double pot with chimney and without chimney stoves during the training.

On the last day of the training the trainees have installed all type of stoves on trail basis in each trainee’s house. They will give the feedback first after two weeks. Looking at the good looking cooking stoves the villagers have already started to give order to make the new stoves in their houses. They are ready to pay the material cost and labour charge for the installers.

The reason behind this training was ten days of door to door survey in the families and FGD sessions on the issues arising from the smoke of traditional chulas which has bad impact in their health of women and children like eyes itching, cataract, asthma, pains in the joints and inhaling problems etc.in the month of May 2017. Many women had come forward to share the problems due to smoke in the kitchen.

During feedback session after the training women shared that it is the first opportunity for them to come in the group and learn something new to enhance their income and livelihood.

With the use of these improved cooking stoves the families can save firewood and time with 80% without smoke in the kitchen.

We hope to begin a new era in the kitchens of remote and delta regions of Sundarban’s households who are using firewood, dried leaves, dried cow dung bread and wild bushes to cook the meals for generations after generations.