Since the availability of LPG is limited and electricity is yet to catch up on popularity, a large number of urban activities - households, hostels, canteens, crematoria, industries, bakeries, road building etc. - consume firewood in large quantities and it is felt that this firewood comes mostly from forests leading to deforestation. A study on firewood use in Bangalore was sponsored by KSCST to get data for the 1980-81 period and analyse it. Some of the findings of this study are;

i) Average quantity of firewood in Bangalore City is 0.44 million tons/year; about 35% of this quantity comes from a distance of 30-40 kms; 50% from forests at distances of 120-150 kms; two small percentages of 6-7% at a distance of 300-400 kms and 8-9% from a distance of 650-900 kms. This means about 10 hectares of forest is cleared everyday;

ii) Transportation of firewood involves energy expenditure - about 114 trucks and 10 railway wagons transport firewood to Bangalore City everyday. This leads to 2.2 million litres/year of diesel consumption;

iii) Most of the supplies (95%) come from private contractors; distribution also is in the hands of commission agents (10%) and retail depots (85%). This aspect should be considered for the success of any control strategies imposed. It may be useful to make concerted efforts towards minimising consumption;

iv) Sectorwise consumption figures are; 78% for households (54% for cooking and water heating; and 24% for water heating only); 5% for dyeing; 4.4% for factories; 3.8% each for hotels and industries; 1.9% for choultries and hostels. Another important aspect is that 82% of domestic consumption goes to persons with income less than Rs. 200/- per month. Coupled with the fact that their budgets are crippled by energy expenditure, it is desirable to go on in for popularising improved efficiency choolas;

v) Interestingly, 53% of firewood goes for water-heating and 42% for cooking. Hence inexpensive, pillow type solar water heaters can become very popular for households and reliable, trouble free, good solar water heater systems for hostels, hotels, canteens, etc.

Similar studies have also been conducted for Tumkur, Hassan, and Mandya towns by the Engineering colleges under KSCST's programmes. Their studies substantiate the above conclusions (Table 10).