Environment-friendly stove is becoming popular in the district as it saves firewood.

Perachara Union Parishad (UP) in Sadar upazila distributed 40 such stoves in No 1 Prokalpo, Giriful and Baurapara villages.

The housewives realised within a few days that the eco-friendly stove needed less firewood and made cooking easier. It also created less smoke and kept the environment clean.

Housewife Manila Chakma of Prokalpo village said she needs one-third the amount of firewood she needed before to cook food for her family. There is much less smoke and the environment remains clean, she added.

Maloti Chakma at the village said she was hesitant to use the stove at first, but now she understands its benefits.

Karbari (village chief) Tarun Kanti Chakma said he had heard about the environment-friendly stoves, so he requested the chairman to supply them. The chairman provided 25 stoves at his village, Tarun said, adding that all of them are being used.

Perachara UP Chairman Tapan Bikash Tripura said 40 eco-friendly stoves have been provided at three villages in his union.

If every household uses eco-friendly stoves, it will save a huge amount of firewood, thus saving the forests, he added.