GORKHA, Nov 2: Sat Maya Magar of Gorkha Municipality-4 leaves home every day at nine in the morning and returns home in the evening after collecting firewood throughout the day. Seventy-year-old Magar finishes her household chores early in the morning and heads for Paslang, a nearby jungle where she gathers firewood. It has been her routine for the last one month.
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“Every day I collect firewood which is used to cook food,” she said while returning home with a wicker basket filled with firewood on Monday. “My cooking gas cylinder ran out a month ago. So I have been using firewood to cook food.”
The shortage of cooking gas Gorkha district headquarters for the last two months has prompted many locals and hotel entrepreneurs to cook food using wood, coal and husk.
Jaya Kumari Pulami has been facing similar hardship in preparing food for her family members.
“It is very easy to prepare food using cooking gas. Now it is extremely difficult to prepare meals by bringing firewood every day from the forest,” said Pulami. “But we have no choice as we can neither eat raw nor stay hungry.” Collecting firewood is proving an added burden on many women who are already strained by routine household chores.
Earlier, chunks of wood and saw dust were freely available at furniture factories, but not anymore.
Due to shortage of cooking gas, many locals have started collecting firewood from the nearby jungle. Even school students go to the jungle to collect firewood on public holidays.
Meanwhile, hotels have started serving only limited variety of dishes due to the shortage of cooking gas.
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