One of WCT’s flagship community interventions in Chandrapur District, Maharashtra, has been the Water Heater Project that is focused on not just reducing firewood consumption, but also forest degradation, the drudgery of women and their exposure to harmful smoke, and above all, human-carnivore conflict. WCT’s intensive socio-economic surveys in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, found that water heating (for bathing and general use) contributes significantly to firewood usage. Due to unaffordability, villagers do not use cooking gas for heating water, resulting in a continued dependence on firewood. To reduce the consumption of firewood, it was necessary to provide a viable and affordable alternative for heating water. This led to the development of an energy-efficient, biomass-fuelled water heater, locally called the ‘bumbb’, that has become a prized possession for thousands of rural households in Chandrapur.
What is a ‘bumbb’? How does it provide a win-win solution for both people and forests? The story of Sarita Uikey, a resident of one of Chandrapur’s villages, will answer all your queries. Read on!
Illustrations: Kirti Chavan
In 2023, WCT was honoured with the UNDP Mahatma Award for Biodiversity for its Water Heater project. The research for the project and its pilot phase was funded by the HT Parekh Foundation. Since then the project has been funded by SBI Foundation, BNP Paribas India, DSP HMK Holdings Pvt. Ltd., DSP ADIKO Pvt. Ltd., KCT Group, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, and Alkyl Amines Chemicals Ltd.
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