The hotels operating in rural market centers developed along the highways and local road networks use fuel wood for cooking foods. The hotels use excessive amount of fuel wood to cook food items. They use traditional type of cooking stoves which has brought the problems increased deforestation in neighbor forest or elsewhere and different types of health hazards for the kitchen workers (especially women and child labours). The fuel wood consumption is very high in the highway hotels. The sample survey carried during the project design shows that a hotel consumes 70 Kg fuel wood which costs NRs. 450 per day. By increasing the efficiency of the cooking stove, it can be reduced to 28 Kg (60%) without any loss of daily costumer. The benefits for environment, health and time-savings are additional.
This project will be implemented along Prithivi highway in the major market centers namely Dharke, Galchhi and Malekhu in Dhadhing and Mugling, Kurintar and Ramnagar in Chitwan district. The number of hotels along the Prithivi Highway from Naubise of Dhading district to Ramnagar Bazaar of Chitwan is very large. The total number of hotels operating in different market centers and road line is about 2,000. Since, the highway serves as main route for Kathmandu and above 90% people use this highway, the major occupation of the people living in Prithvi Highway corridor is hotel. These hotels mainly serve passengers traveling from bus, truck and other vehicles. In busy market centers, a hotel serves about 200-500 passengers per day. The proposed ICS promotion and installation program will directly serve above 82 hotels and will indirectly serve other fuel wood consuming hotels through the promotional activities.