June 30: Every household in Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality, Mustang district, has received free e-stoves for cooking. The municipality, in collaboration with the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), distributed the e-stoves to mitigate climate change impacts and promote environmental conservation.

 The initiative is aimed at reducing the consumption of firewood and LP gas. Rural Municipality Chairman Raju Bista handed over the e-stoves to all 454 households across the municipality's five wards.

Bista emphasized the environmental degradation caused by using firewood in the arid Upper Mustang region, highlighting the e-stoves as a sustainable alternative. "The introduction of e-stoves is a step towards reducing carbon emissions and lowering the reliance on imported cooking gas," Bista said.

The rural municipality allocated Rs 800,000, while ACAP contributed Rs 900,000 for the e-stove distribution in the current fiscal year. People's representatives and ACAP officials visited all wards this week to distribute the stoves. (RSS)