Smokeless chulhas capture urbanites’ fancy in Pune

After the success of the modified chulha developed by the Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI) in 225 villages in the state, it is now capturing the attention of urban buyers too.

The ARTI’s smokeless chulha, sarai cooking system and barbeque used with charcoal as fuel are attracting buyers at Gram Sampada 2011 exhibition being held at the NABARD office behind Sancheti Hospital in Shivajinagar.

The exhibition will conclude on Sunday.
The ARTI is a registered scientific society, established in April 1996 by a group of scientists, technologists and social workers to develop and transfer innovative, sustainable technologies to rural people for income generation and to improve their quality of life. Many of ARTI’s developed technologies have resulted in eco-friendly and energy efficient products.

With a view to provide a solution to traditional chulha, which generates smoke and affects the health of villagers, the ARTI introduced modified forms like Bharat Laxmi Stove, Vivek Sawdust Stove, Improved Laxmi Stove and Sampada Gasifier Stove.

ARTI sales officer Archana Bhandari said, “Their focus was on rural users while designing these stoves, but they are proving useful in the urban environment as well. Many people living in cities miss the food cooked on chulhas. The modified chulhas can be easily installed in flats or urban homes, as they do not emit smoke and require less fuel, plus you get the taste of food cooked on chulhas.” The other salient features are that there is less or no blackening of vessels and no pollution.

She said the products received a good response from urbanites in exhibitions in the past few years. At Gram Sampada, over 150 people visited the ARTI stall on the first day and around 10 stoves were sold while orders have been placed for other products such as Sarai cooking system and barbeque, in which charcoal is used as fuel.

The Bharat Laxmi stove is a single pot fixed stove. Eight insulating cement bricks are joined together with metal wires to make the stove. It can be fixed in mud or cement platform.

Any household pot can be placed on top of the stove, which saves 50% more fuel than the traditional chulha and reduces 50% smoke. Any fuel used in traditional chulha can be used in the stove.

Vivek Sawdust Stove is a portable metallic stove and sawdust or other powdery biomass is used as fuel. In Improved Laxmi Stove, cooking is possible on both pot mouths. Sampada Gasifier Stove uses wood sticks and twigs as fuel. The special feature of this stove is that one-third of the total fuel put in stays behind as charcoal.

The Sarai cooking system is a special product, which is somewhat like a pressure cooker. It has no valve, gasket or whistle and is available in four sizes, big, medium and small. Charcoal is used as fuel.

“It is not necessary to attend this cooker and the food cooks in about 45 minutes. The stove can be used independently to roast papad, corn cob and brinjals. It keeps the food warm up to three hours and is convenient for picnics. It is designed in such a way that it can be
carried around even when fuel combustion is on,” said Bhandari.