Articles by V J Patel

in Rural India V J Patel A majority of India's rural population still uses firewood for cooking purposes. With vanishing forests, there is a shortage of firewood. An integrated programme for fuelwood production to meet the total requirement of the country is an imperative need. But the implementation of such a programme would pose serious problems. It would be more useful to begin with projects covering specific locations like a village or a block, aiming at making them self-sufficient in fuelwood. The experience gained thereby could help in formulating an overall long- term strategy. This paper discusses the experience of some specific projects in Gujarat state.