KHYBER
The tribesmen turn to buy angeeti, locally known as angeeti to maintain the mercury dip to keep their kitchen functional and to maintain rooms hot during chilly weather.
Aangeeti is a traditional brazier used to keep space-warm and for cooking purpose in rural areas.
According to the locals with the first downpour, power supply constantly remain suspended and they prefer to utilize angeeti to tackle chilly weather.
There are approximately eight to ten shops, located in different sites of Landi Kotal bazaar that deal in the business of angeeti.
A local blacksmith in Landi Kotal Bazaar, Noorullah Shinwari said that in the beginning of cold weather sale of angeeti got momentum and during the season he sells 2500 to 3000 pieces.
“We make 10 different types of the furnaces including angeeti utilize for only cooking purposes and those that not only fulfill needs of kitchen but also keep water hot and its rates are ranging from Rs.550 to Rs.12000”,Shinwari maintained.
He further added that the product was locally made however a rise in the price of raw material caused an increase in ascend in rate of angeeti.
Kitab Gul of Khuga Khel tribe of tehsil Landi Kotal who was busy in selecting of an angeeti at one of shops said that on the arrival of winter, the supply of power had been permanently suspended and there was no other option lift for locals to save their children from cold to install the furnace in one of room of their house.
He added that although the majority of the population was serving their lives below the poverty line in the area but in chilly weather they had to buy Rs.1400 per mound woods to keep the angeeti purposeful.
He demanded of the government that like other parts of the country they should be facilitated by supplying natural gas to them.
According to local grid station official all feeders during winter got overloaded and could not function properly therefore they had initiated a power load management system to ensure electricity supply in the area.
Bashir Ahmad Afridi, a social worker while sharing his views said that in frosty weather use of angeeti increase many fold and the tribesmen depended on firewood for burning purposes usually brought from Tirah valley.
“Rise in demand for the product will make the woods traders cut more plants that are a visible hazard to environment”, he opined.
He urged for provision of an alternate source of energy to the local tribal so that they could bear the severeness of the weather without disturbing the environment.
Hazrat Nabi, one of wood sellers in Landi Kotal bazaar said that the price of 50 kg( one mound) woods was Rs.1350 however it increased with rise in consumption.
Maximum quantity of wood was supplied from Tirah valley; some time they brought it from Jamrud and down towns, he added.
Falak Naz, forester Landi Kotal said that rise in use of angeeti created threat to the forest because more woods would be needed to consume and for that purpose additional trees would be cut in the forest.
He suggested that if the government could provide other facilities like liquid petroleum gas(LPG)cylinders at subsidized prices, precious forest could be preserved.
