Water heater that helps cut man-animal conflict in Chandrapur wins UN award
Jaindra Khobragade, an ASHA worker in Chandrapur district, used to walk long distances to collect firewood for her chulha. Now, she has the 'bumbb', a biomass-fueled water heater that has reduced her firewood-seeking treks. The 'bumbb' has been distributed to households at a subsidy to reduce human-wildlife conflict. The Wildlife Conservation Trust's 'Heater of Hope' project has installed 'bumbb' in 9,500 households, leading to significant firewood savings and carbon dioxide emission reduction. 'Bumbb' consumes one-third of the firewood used in a traditional stove and can be powered with crop residue, cow dung cakes, and dried leaves.