DIBRUGARH, Sept 28 - The Dikom Tea Estate, some 16 km from here, has taken an initiative of distributing low-smoke high efficiency cooking stoves among its workers. The cost of these cooking stoves would be realized from the workers through PF loans, the management officials said.
The objective of distributing the low-smoke stoves is to improve the cooking experience of their workers. Such stoves would improve the living conditions of the workers as the conventional firewood chulla emits high amount of smoke which leads to various eye and lung diseases, Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan, assistant manager, Dikom Tea Estate said.
In the first phase at least 70 beneficiaries received the low-smoke high efficiency cooking stoves. The management officials have said that more workers have raised the demand for arranging this low-smoke cooking stoves for them and their extended families.
The stoves were distributed recently during a programme at Sessa Division LP School. The distribution function was presided over by Samar Jyoti Chaliha, senior manager. Dr Probin Chandra Thakur, Ambarish Borthakur, deputy manager, Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan, Nagneet Singh Gill, assistant manager, Pradyut Hatikakoty, welfare officer, and the members of the ACMS unit of Sessa Division, Mothers Club and Adolescent Club attended the function.
�Stoves were bought after initial trials and demonstration, and post-receipt of positive responses from the users. The stoves have been bought directly from the manufacturer at a very reasonable price and these are of international standards and design. The special features of the stove are that it works on any biomass fuel, including firewood and reduction in smoke and toxic emissions can be expected up to 80 per cent,� Phukan said.
Other features of the stove include up to 50 per cent reduced cooking time, up to 60 per cent reduced fuel requirement, high improvement in cooking efficiency, retention of the same taste of the food, no requirement of blowpipe, durable and easy operation, the officials said, adding, the stove is maintenance free, besides being portable and stable.
