Impact of Unclean Biofuels in Rural India

A study based on a survey of 15,293 rural households from 148 villages in three states of rural North India and one state in South India shows the importance of clean fuels. Following data was collected (Parikh Jyoti et al (2005)):

• Symptoms of diseases related to air and water pollution
• Expenditure on health.
• Person days lost.
• Demographic and socio-economic information.
• Measurements of air quality in the kitchen, outside the kitchen and the home were collected.
• Indicators for respiratory functions (Peak Expiratory Flow) were measured for most of the adults present at the time of the survey. 

The study estimated that• 96% of rural households used biomass energy, 11% use kerosene and 5% use LPG for cooking.• 314 Mt of bio-fuels are gathered annually, mostly by women, this may lead to a rural girl child to forgo her education.• 85 million households spend 30 billion hours annually in fuel wood gathering.• Respiratory symptoms are prevalent among 24 million adults of which 17 million have serious symptoms. Again mostly women due to their work being mostly indoors.• 5% of adults suffer from Bronchial asthma, 16% from Bronchitis, 8.2% from Pulmonary TB and 7% from Chest infection.
Net Economic Impact :

Total economic burden of unclean biomass fuel was estimated to be Rs.299 billion using a wage rate of Rs.60 per day multiplied by the no of houres used to gather primary fuel.

The study considers the opportunity cost of gathering fuel, working days lost due to eye infections and respiratory diseases, and the cost of medicine.

Women were found to be the primary sufferers of the adverse impact of use of biomass fuels. Gender and energy issues have remained on the periphery of energy policy, and require greater attention and backing.