500 families to get eco-friendly stoves
The Punjab Forest Department, with the cooperation of the Federal Ministry of Climate Change, will provide free-of-cost eco-friendly stoves to the 500 families of the four mountainous tehsils, including Murree, Kotli Sattian, Kahuta and Kallar Syedan in the district of Rawalpindi.
The stoves are scientifically designed to consume a small quantity of wood and will help control smog.
Last year, 150 such stoves were distributed in the winter season. According to the new project, these modern stoves will also be provided at subsidised rates in the second phase under the Sustainable Forestry Circle of the Forest Department.
Sustainable Forestry Circle sources told The Express Tribune that these modern eco-friendly stoves are being manufactured using foreign technology.
These stoves burn 50% less wood than the ordinary stoves and provide 30% to 40% more fire and the fire stays in these stoves for four to seven hours. These stoves can also be used as heaters in the rooms in winter.
The preparation of these stoves will be completed in October and after that they will be distributed among the families of the four hilly tehsils in a special ceremony, said sources, adding that this would also prevent wastage of wood as fuel and burning of wood in winter will not spread smog due to these stoves.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2022.