Effect of Various Interventions in Reducing Fuel-Wood from Forest in the Households of Different Watersheds of Sirsi Taluk

The study was conducted in two watersheds of Sirsi taluk, Uttar Kannada district, Karnataka, India during year 2016-2017 to assess the effect of various interventions in reducing fuel-wood from forest. The use of intervention was 82.28 in households of watershed 4D4F5 and 75.8 % was in watershed 5B1A5. The average quantity of reduction of fuel-wood was 0.5 and 0.4 t/year/person in 4D4F5 and 5B1A5watershed respectively. The total fuel-wood replacement by interventions in 4D4F5 watershed was 1, 291.9 t/year and in 5B1A5 watershed was 274.2 t/year. The more number of households use LPG (65.1 %), Gobargas (28.5 %), Kerosene stove (10 %) and electric stove (16 %) in watershed 5B1A5 than watershed 4D4F5 (63 %, 20.1 %, 6.9 %, 3.1 % and 1 % respectively). LPG was found to be used in all 10 villages of both watersheds, whereas Gobar gaswas used in 8 villages, Improved chula in 7villages, electric stove and Kerosene stoves in 5 villages each and solar heaters in only one village. LPG, Gobargas, Electric stove, Improved chula and solar heater are the suitable interventions to reduce the fuel wood useage from forest which in-turn helps to conserve the forest.