112
3 The Challenges of Energy Supply
India (based on ample agricultural residues) and there have been long-standing efforts to
promote it, but less than 1% of households use biogas as their primary cooking fuel.
Use of biomass energy defeats the very purpose of human development. Since
most of the biomass using households are poor, they rely on low-quality cookstoves,
cooking utensils, and live in poorly ventilated housing which exacerbates the negative
health impact, as there is incomplete combustion and non-dissipation of smoke.
Burning of biomass fuels produces high levels of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons,
and particulate matter, which in turn have disastrous impact especially on the health
of women (excessive contact) and children (susceptibility). Children exposed to
indoor air pollution are two to three times more likely to catch pneumonia, which is
one of the world’s leading killers of young children. In addition, there is evidence
to link indoor smoke to low birth weight, infant mortality, tuberculosis, cataracts,
and asthma. The effects of exposure to indoor air pollution depend on the source of
pollution (fuel and stove type), pollutant dispersal (ventilation), and exposure time
(how much of time household members spend indoors).
The burden of collection of fuelwood lies with women and children with significant opportunity cost in terms of loss of education and income generating activities.
Many children, especially girls, are withdrawn from school to attend to domestic
chores related to biomass use, reducing their literacy and restricting their economic
opportunities.
It is almost impractical to ascertain the exact nature of biomass consumption in
household sector in a huge country like India. There are enormous variations in the
level of consumption and type of fuel used for cooking and heating. While most of the
rural families are aware of the sufferings and consequences of biomass burning within
their four walls, factors like poverty, willingness to pay, uncertainty in availability
of alternatives compel them to resort to biomass fuels. There have been instances in
big cities and towns of poor people burning tyres, polythene sheets, plastic bottles,
and so on for warmth during winters. Since poverty is one of the major factors, the
impact of pollutants is highest among people with low income and minimal savings.
3.7 Overcoming Impediments to Sustained Energy Supply
Energy plays a significant role in human development and countries with low HDI
scores have low primary energy consumption per capita.
16 In countries where more
than 75% of the population receives less than $2 per day income, energy consumption
(biomass plus commercial) is around 0.4 tons of oil equivalent (toe) per capita per
annum. As the percentage of poverty indicator falls to 40–75%, energy consumption
rises to about 0.8 tons of oil equivalent (toe) per capita per annum, and at 5–40%
fall in poverty indicators, it rises to over 1.5 tons of oil equivalent (toe) per capita
per annum. If a country must achieve high HDI score, it should consume more than
2 tons of oil equivalent per capita per annum energy consumption.
16 Source—Srivastav (2019).
3 The Challenges of Energy Supply
India (based on ample agricultural residues) and there have been long-standing efforts to
promote it, but less than 1% of households use biogas as their primary cooking fuel.
Use of biomass energy defeats the very purpose of human development. Since
most of the biomass using households are poor, they rely on low-quality cookstoves,
cooking utensils, and live in poorly ventilated housing which exacerbates the negative
health impact, as there is incomplete combustion and non-dissipation of smoke.
Burning of biomass fuels produces high levels of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons,
and particulate matter, which in turn have disastrous impact especially on the health
of women (excessive contact) and children (susceptibility). Children exposed to
indoor air pollution are two to three times more likely to catch pneumonia, which is
one of the world’s leading killers of young children. In addition, there is evidence
to link indoor smoke to low birth weight, infant mortality, tuberculosis, cataracts,
and asthma. The effects of exposure to indoor air pollution depend on the source of
pollution (fuel and stove type), pollutant dispersal (ventilation), and exposure time
(how much of time household members spend indoors).
The burden of collection of fuelwood lies with women and children with significant opportunity cost in terms of loss of education and income generating activities.
Many children, especially girls, are withdrawn from school to attend to domestic
chores related to biomass use, reducing their literacy and restricting their economic
opportunities.
It is almost impractical to ascertain the exact nature of biomass consumption in
household sector in a huge country like India. There are enormous variations in the
level of consumption and type of fuel used for cooking and heating. While most of the
rural families are aware of the sufferings and consequences of biomass burning within
their four walls, factors like poverty, willingness to pay, uncertainty in availability
of alternatives compel them to resort to biomass fuels. There have been instances in
big cities and towns of poor people burning tyres, polythene sheets, plastic bottles,
and so on for warmth during winters. Since poverty is one of the major factors, the
impact of pollutants is highest among people with low income and minimal savings.
3.7 Overcoming Impediments to Sustained Energy Supply
Energy plays a significant role in human development and countries with low HDI
scores have low primary energy consumption per capita.
16 In countries where more
than 75% of the population receives less than $2 per day income, energy consumption
(biomass plus commercial) is around 0.4 tons of oil equivalent (toe) per capita per
annum. As the percentage of poverty indicator falls to 40–75%, energy consumption
rises to about 0.8 tons of oil equivalent (toe) per capita per annum, and at 5–40%
fall in poverty indicators, it rises to over 1.5 tons of oil equivalent (toe) per capita
per annum. If a country must achieve high HDI score, it should consume more than
2 tons of oil equivalent per capita per annum energy consumption.
16 Source—Srivastav (2019).