Beehive biomass briquettes: Concept of household fuel revisited

Firewood has been a part and parcel of life for people living in the rural areas. The rural dwellers depend mostly on firewood for their sustenance. Firewood carries a special importance as a source of energy in the Northeastern Himalayas, especially in the higher reaches. Since time immemorial people have been dependent on the forests for firewood for cooking food and various other activities. People in such areas are dependent on the nature and its resources for firewood. Over the years, this has resulted in a devastating effect on the natural stands due to over exploitation. Deforestation today is a cause of concern through out the globe and overexploitation of nature and its resources for various activities including firewood extraction are the key reasons to this. Though extraction for firewood is one of the reasons for the above but it cannot be singled out as the sole reason for deforestation. Timber logging, present trend of shifting cultivation in many areas and developmental activities attribute to the cause of deforestation as well. Increasing population pressure and thereby demand for firewood has increased by manifolds today, taking the toll on the rich forest resources. ?Beehive Biomass Briquettes? commonly referred as bio briquettes can be an option for firewood. By definition a briquette is a block of flammable matter which is used as fuel to start and maintain a fire. Biomass refers to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production. Most commonly, biomass refers to plant matter grown for use as bio-fuel, but it also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibres, chemicals or heat. Biomass briquettes are a renewable source of energy and help reduce the carbon content in the atmosphere.