Sun Mar 23 07:28:41 UTC 2025: ## Kaziranga National Park Improves Forest Guard Living Conditions with New Cookstoves
**GUWAHATI, Assam, March 23, 2025** – Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam has implemented a program to improve the living conditions of its forest guards by providing 47 improved cookstoves to 45 anti-poaching camps. The initiative, supported by the Wildlife Trust of India, aims to address the health and efficiency issues associated with the traditional wood-burning stoves currently in use.
The park, home to a significant portion of India’s one-horned rhinoceros population, boasts an exceptionally high density of anti-poaching camps – one for every 5.82 sq km. These camps, each housing 4-8 personnel, rely heavily on firewood for cooking, resulting in significant smoke and health problems for the guards.
The new cookstoves, a mix of single and double-pot models, are designed to reduce firewood consumption by up to 50%, smoke and emissions by up to 80%, and cooking time considerably. Larger capacity stoves have also been provided for larger camps. Park authorities plan a post-usage survey to assess the impact and inform future scaling of the project.
While the park aims to transition to LPG eventually, the remote locations and accessibility issues, especially during monsoon season, necessitate a continued reliance on firewood in many areas. The improved cookstoves offer a significant step towards improving the quality of life for the forest guards, bolstering their morale and operational efficiency in protecting the park’s precious wildlife.
First Piper 