Fuel-efficient Chullah and Chimney Distributed at Balijan and Digulturrung tea estate of Dibrugarh, Assam

Staff Correspondent

Dibrugarh, July 25: Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) and Oil India Limited, Duliajan recently organized a valedictory function of Oil Urja Fuel Efficient Clean Energy Programme at Balijan and Digulturrung tea estate of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district respectively. The function was graced by senior officials of Oil India Limited, IIE, tea garden managers and beneficiaries.

Through this project, free fuel-efficient chullah and chimney were provided to 3,000 households and approximately 15,000 beneficiaries of the tea garden community of six locations, namely Baghjan, Dighalturrung, Thanai, Balijan, Nalani and Mukalbari of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts, in a span of one year at a total project cost of Rs.1,38,44,000. The project is being implemented by IIE. The project also created 20 local chullah chimney makers/entrepreneurs through training and capacity building.

Most of the tea garden workers use conventional cooking system of firewood on a daily basis and use of these traditional cooking practices create air pollution, thus causing health problems. To address these issues, fuel-efficient chullahs along with chimneys are provided with the objective of reducing health hazards and drudgery of women. This will also reduce use of firewood and other biomass, thereby reducing deforestation.