Clean stoves already in use in rural India

The health and pollution problems caused by primitive heating stoves (Nature 490, 343; 2012) are already being addressed in one rural Indian community.

In the state of Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas — a biodiversity hot spot (N. Myers et al. Nature 403, 853–858; 2000) — most people use biomass fuel as their primary source of energy. It is burnt in a safe, energy-efficient and smoke-free stove called a chulha.

This portable iron stove is enclosed, equipped with a heat-intensity control, an ash-collection tray and an exhaust pipe. It costs just 1,500–3,000 rupees (US$28–56), and has a thermal efficiency of 60%, compared with 6–8% for traditional stoves. This translates into a significant saving of around 300 kilograms of wood fuel (biomass) equivalent per year (J. S. Rawat et al. Curr. Sci. 98, 1554; 2010).

These improvements have proved to be a boon for rural women living in poor socio-economic conditions.