Fuel wood and Fodder Consumption Pattern in Gostu Gad Watershed, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

摘要

This paper aims to show acute changes in seasonal fuel and fodder consumption in Gostu Gad watershed, Pauri Garhwal Uttarakhand. The lack of alternate energy sources in this region is the major setback. By taking the data at three altitudinal ranges with three seasons was done by random selection of 120 households of different villages. The Freidman test was used for analyzing the data and it was observed that changes in fuelwood consumption were showing at different heights in the Gostu Gad watershed. Majority the use of fuel wood was for domestic cooking in the whole watershed and it was highest 1076.75 kg capita~(-1) year~(-1) at higher altitudes and lowest 616.85kg capita~(-1) year~(-1) in the middle altitudes. Gross annual consumption of fodder was highest 7927.80 kg in high altitudes and lowest 5642.90 kg in lower altitude villages. A proper study was done to identify the fuel consumption pattern on pilot basis in whole watershed and it revealed that at present the fuelwood use by households is 94.6% despite the other fuels like kerosene, LPG are also in the usage.