New Delhi: At a time when the whole world is waking up to the challenge of climate change and coming up with new ways to mitigate its risks and combat pollution, a small village in India's southern state of Karnataka has set up an example many could look to follow.
In a one of its kind achievement, Vyachakurahalli village in Karnataka has become India's first smokeless village. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has declared the village as 'smokeless' after all the 274 households shifted from firewood to LPG stoves for cooking.
In India, especially the rural areas, firewood is the main source of fuel used for cooking. The fuel which creates a lot of smoke, leaving several women at risk of serious health hazards as a consequence. The use of firewood is harmful to the people and the environment as it produces a heavy amount of carbon dioxide when used a fuel.
"My compliments to the residents of Vyachakurahalli which has been declared as the first smokeless village in India," Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted.
The Petroleum Ministry conducted an awareness campaign in which they taught the village women how to cook their food using LPG stoves. The women were also told to switch off the regulator every night.
Firewood continues to be the most important fuel in many of India's village. The recognition to the village for its use of clean fuel has come as no mean achievement for the villagers. With Vyachakurahalli having taken the lead, it now remains to be seen how many others follow suit.
