300 Dhule families show the way, switch to nature-powered cooking to ease LPG crisis

Nashik: At least 300 families across three remote villages in Dhule's Sakri taluka have embarked on a remarkable act of collective resolve — choosing to depend on the natural resources around them and voluntarily stepping away from LPG consumption — to make urban residents of Maharashtra breathe a little easy.For now, they said the community-driven effort will continue for the next six months in Baripada, Mohgaon and Chavdipada villages. On an average, every family in the rural areas uses one cylinder for about 45 days. The families from these three villages will thus not seek 1,200 LPG domestic cylinders over the next six months.Anil Pawar, sarpanch of Baripada village, said they first checked with the women in the village if they were ready to discontinue LPG cylinder use and switch to the alternatives. "They agreed. In our village, everyone is engaged in preparing cow dung cakes and collecting fallen and dried firewood," he said."This decision is not born of necessity but of national duty," Pawar said. "While cities struggle and families in cramped flats have no option but to rely on LPG, villages like ours can adapt. If we can ease the pressure on the system during a national shortage, why shouldn't we?"Sangeeta Kokni, a resident of Baripada, said cooking food on ‘chulha' was not a new thing for them. "We have been using this traditionally and hence, for us, it is not a big deal. Men in the family help us gather firewood and make cow dung cakes," she said.The sarpanch said most houses have solar cookers, smokeless chulha and enough cow dung that can double up as cooking supports. To ensure this transition does not become a burden solely for the women, men from these villages have stepped up with a commitment of their own, he said.The initiative is led by social worker Chaitram Pawar, who was conferred Padma Shri last year for his pioneering work in afforestation, water conservation and wildlife protection. The villagers have voluntarily decided to stop consumption of the LPG cylinders without compromising on their 35-year-old practice of not felling any trees from the jungle for firewood."Cooking has became easier and safer with the use of smokeless chulla. We usually cook food on chulha as well as LPG. With suport from family members, this decision will not be difficult to implement," said Shanta Chaure, another villager. Chaitram said by stepping away from the gas grid, they hope to ensure that people in urban areas, who lack any alternative cooking methods, can receive the LPG cylinder refills they desperately need.At the foundation of this decision lies a legacy dating back to 1991, when Pawar's "Jal, Jungle, Jameen" movement transformed Baripada. As the villagers embraced ecological protection, they also began developing alternatives — solar cookers, smokeless chulhas, firewood from farm remnants, and ample cow-dung fuel. These resources, Pawar says, make it possible to continue the initiative even through the monsoon.