Forty-one percent of the Indian population still relies on biomass fuels such as wood and cow dung for cooking, resulting in the annual emission of approximately 340 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to a report titled India’s Transition to E-cooking by the Centre for Science and Environment. The emissions from biomass cooking account for around 13 percent of India’s greenhouse gas emissions. The report also highlights that despite the success of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in increasing access to liquified petroleum gas (LPG) in India, it has not ensured a sustained transition to clean cooking in households benefiting from the scheme.
Globally, 2.4 billion people, including 500 million in India, still lack access to clean cooking solutions. This has severe repercussions for the economy, public health, and the environment. The report reveals that indoor air pollution caused by wood-based cooking leads to approximately three million premature deaths annually worldwide, with 0.6 million of those deaths occurring in India.
While the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas claims that 99.8 percent of households in India have LPG coverage, the National Family Health Survey conducted from 2019 to 2021 shows that 41 percent of the population continues to rely on biomass for cooking. The Centre for Science and Environment’s calculations indicate that this reliance on biomass fuels results in the emission of 340 million tonnes of CO2 every year, equivalent to 13 percent of India’s national greenhouse gas emissions. However, this sectoral emission is not accounted for in India’s national emissions as per the country’s last Biennial Update Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Despite the distribution of over 100 million LPG cylinders to households through the PMUY program, the report highlights that more than 50 percent of beneficiaries did not refill their cylinders even once. Reasons cited for this include the high cost of refills, cultural or behavioral beliefs, and a lack of significant distribution networks in the beneficiaries’ areas.
The report underlines the financial burden faced by below poverty line (BPL) families, who spend approximately one-third of their annual income on cooking fuel alone. With the average cost of an LPG cylinder refill being around Rs 1,100, an average BPL family would require approximately eight such refills per year, resulting in an expenditure of approximately Rs 8,800 solely on cooking fuel.
The transition from biomass to clean cooking remains a critical challenge for India, despite efforts to expand access to LPG through PMUY. The report calls for sustained efforts and policies to address the barriers and ensure a successful transition to clean cooking solutions. It emphasizes the need for affordable refills, awareness campaigns, and the establishment of efficient distribution networks to facilitate a widespread adoption of LPG as a clean cooking fuel.
The detrimental impacts of biomass cooking on the environment, public health, and the economy necessitate urgent action by the Indian government and stakeholders to promote clean cooking solutions, reduce carbon emissions, and improve the overall well-being of the population.
