This will mean that fewer trees will be felled in the wooded sanctuary, home to the Asiatic lion. It will also mean lesser friction between forest department officials trying to prevent tree-felling and villagers who use firewood.

Forest officials have managed to convince villagers of Sasan to switch to liquefied petroleum gas, which will be provided by a Reliance Gas agency set up recently. Over the last two weeks most houses have been given gas connection. Besides, villagers are being encouraged to use solar cookers and gobar gas.

Said deputy conservator Mahesh Singh: ``Initially, acceptance of the scheme was slow, but with liquefied petroleum gas being provided at a subsidised rate, 200 families have agreed.'' He said that in the next round all 540 households in Sasan would switch to liquefied petroleum gas. The forest department also hopes to get all 74 villages in the Protected Area of the sanctuary to switch to liquefied petroleum gas.

Singh said it would be impossible to keep a protected area closed to all external influence, especially when pressure on land and resources is high. However, residents could be made to appreciate that the area is protected and they could be made to take part in the protection. The eco-development project is a World Bank funded step in that direction.

But for the families that have switched to liquefied petroleum gas, there are immediate benefits: no smoke, no blackened kitchen walls, no buying firewood or felling trees for it, no fights with forest officials.

Forest dweller Niteshbhai Mashru said: ``We have been using wood collected by poor people as fuel to cook in our dhaba. We used spend at least Rs.50 for a bundle of wood and we required three to four bunches daily. LPG is cheaper. ``We can start it when needed. With wood it used to take a long time and it had to be constantly blown to get a full flame.''

Another forest dweller, Bagumaben Kadaljibhai, said, ``I feel comfortable using liquefied petroleum gas as fuel. At first I was scared while using it because other women in our area said it is very difficult to use gas. But it saves a lot of time and it saves the walls of my house.''