The Asiatic lion news archive - 2001

Stories relating to the Asiatic lion and updates on the captive breeding programme from 2001.

DATELINE: 18th October 2001
LPG use reduces dependance on fuelwood in Gir

A large number of villages in and around the Gir Protected Area (GPA) that includes the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and Gir National Park are reported to have shifted from using fuelwood for cooking to LPG. The introduction of LPG in the region was taken up under the World Bank (WB)- Global Environment Facility (GEF) Gir Eco-Development Project in 1999.

In the first stage, 200 families staying in and around Gir were provided LPG connections. By October 2001, nearly 8000 families living in 9 villages had switched from wood to LPG. People are preferring LPG because it is more convenient, is turning out to be cheaper and removes the various health problems associated with cooking on a fire. The Forest Department too has reported a drastic fall in the collection of firewood for commercial exploitation.

Source: Janyala Sreenivas & Stavan Desai. 'Fire in the forests', Indian Express.