Bhajani (Kailali), April 9: Hemraj Chaudhary, hailing from Bhajani Municipality-9, has weak financial status. He used to be in need of firewood for preparing meal. He had been fulfilling the necessity from a nearby community forest. Later, he was freed from the compulsion of using firewood stove. He was apparently filled with joy only when he accessed a stove along with gas cylinder from Om Shanti Community Forest. Like Hemraj, 180 families have remained away from dependency on firewood with the community forest distributing gas and stoves to the users with destitute. Hemraj commented, "When we get a gas stove, we make use of it. The compulsion to go to the forest and look for firewood has ended". Madhu Devi Chaudhary, a user of the community forest, also got enchanted after the protracted compulsion to prepare meal by burning firewood ended. "By-gone are the days of wood. Now I utilize my time to serve other purposes", he said, sharing happiness for accessing a stove along with the cylinder. Sunita Chaudhary, a consumer, had been worrying about the rainy season every year. Sunita, who was forced to prepare meal in the wood, recounted her live experience of troublesome when entire wood stored at her home was soaked in water during the year. "Now that painstaking moment will not come back. Cooking has become easier after getting gas at home", she added. Asharam Chaudhary, who belongs to a poor family, said that providing gas stoves by the community forest would save time in the coming days. She said time to find firewood could be utilized in the field of production. "One had to go in search of firewood. Besides, cooking food was also a daily routine of a person". According to Forest Chair Raj Kumar Chaudhary, gas stoves were distributed to 180 families at the rate of Rs 8,000 per family from the income generated from the forest. "Every year, we had to provide firewood to the users. Due to lack of wood as per their demand, swathe of forest land has started getting polluted", he said, adding, "Now most of the poor families have access to gas stoves", he shared, expressing his belief that the forest is expected to be protected.