DR KARVE'S SMOKELESS CHULHAS HELP BACKYARD VILLAGES

Dr. Priyadarshini Karve , a local college teacher has been awarded the prestigious World Technology Network WTN Award 2005 for her innovate smokeless chulhas which she designed with the local NGO ARTI Pune. Charcoal is made by burning agricultural waste in an oxygenless condition and then crushing the charred remains into a fine poweer. The fine powder is then compressed into small cubes, which are fed for the specially designed chulhas designed for optimum combustion. This way the harmful affects of indoor pollution which claims lives of more than five lakh children and women in India is prevented. Dr. Karve has also been involved in designing a special cement kiln which burns wood efficiently thus not producing smoke. ARTI has sold more than 50,000 of such chulhas in the villages and in the last two years, it has trained nearly 140 articsans from villages to mass produce these smokeless kilns.

Courtesy Indian Express Pune