Breathing Easy
Project
Indoor air pollution severely impacts health by causing various ailments like respiratory illnesses, eye problems, and cancer. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), exposure to smoke from cooking fires causes 3.8 million premature deaths each year, mostly in developing countries. Though the Government of India has taken initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) to promote the use of clean energy, the rural nooks of states like Uttarakhand will take many years to catch up with such progressive trends. According to the survey we conducted in 2019, around 61% of households in Champawat still use wood for cooking.Traditional mountain homes with small windows and low roofs aggravate exposure to smoke.
Our project 'Breathing Easy' addresses the issue of indoor air pollution by constructing smokeless chullahs, which is a useful and low-cost cookstove. Due to efficient combustion, it additionally reduces fuel consumption by almost 50%.
Phase I
December' 2020 - October' 2021
During phase I of the project we installed smokeless chullahs in 400 households in Pati Block of Champawat District, benefitting 2000 people directly. An end-line impact evaluation through a survey showed:
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Decrease blackening of utensils
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Reduction of smoke produced during cooking
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Decreased cooking time
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Reduced fuelwood consumption
Phase II
November' 2021 - August' 2022
Upon the successful completion of 400 chullahs in phase I, we started the second phase of the Breathing Easy Project in Nov 2021 with a target of another 300 chullahs in Pati block. This phase was focused on the economically weaker sections of the community where most use fuelwood for cooking. We have now completed our target, are ready for an end-line impact evaluation, and are gearing up install another 300 chullahs as well as introduce a high-temperature domestic incinerator for non-recyclable waste along with heating water for household need for phase III.