3.3 Inconsistent Power Generation by States
87
India (87 th ) is gradually improving its performance on the EAPI (90th last year). Similar to
China, the country boasts a strong score on the indicator for diversification of import counterparts (5 th ), but its energy system continues to face some significant challenges, particularly
in environmental sustainability (109 th ). India has some of the lowest scores in the EAPI for
CO 2 emissions from electricity production and PM2.5 levels (117 th and 123 rd , respectively).
While sources of pollution are diverse and intermittent (e.g. agricultural crop burning, refuse
combustion, fireworks), the energy sector is a large, consistent contributor to this issue of
major concern. Many solutions have been attempted with varying degrees of impact, but
the country sorely needs a comprehensive plan of action to implement an effective and
sustainable answer.
India also faces an uphill battle to increase energy access and security (95 th ). A large
percentage of the population still lacks access to electricity (101 st ) and uses solid fuels
for cooking (108 th ).
3.4 The Fallacies of Household and Rural Electrification
According to the census report of 2011 (Chandramouli 2011), there were 330,886,373
(33 plus crore
2 ) houses in the country of which 92.5% were occupied. The term
housing in census record incorporates residential buildings, shops, offices, hotels,
guest houses, hospitals, dispensary, and so on. The breakup is provided in Fig. 3.14.
As per this record, there were 23.61 crores residential buildings in 2011. However,
the details submitted (Fig. 3.15) by the government to the Lok Sabha (House of the
People) in November 2018 (Lok Sabha 2018) mentioned that among 21.73 households in the country, 20.79 crores were electrified. Believing that no new residential
building has been added after 2011, there will still be 30 million residential buildings without electricity connectivity (Fig. 3.16). There are many states which are still
below 80% mark such as Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Odisha, and UP. In addition to the discrepancy in number of residential building (that
must have increased by millions after 2011) and tardy progress of some states, there
are issues of sustainability of electricity supply and replacement of biomass fuels.
Energy poverty has its cost (in terms of foregone development) that India has paid
and is likely to pay in future as well. A total of nearly 304 million people still suffer
from want of electricity and there is no reliable data on the number of households
or people who do not have adequate electricity. Lack of access to electricity or inadequate electricity in homes impacts education, health, and economic development,
especially in rural India. Like urban consumers, the rural households have equal right
to get connection and receive efficient services. The national energy policy aims at
achieving 100% electrification by 2022 and will take this to be the main plank of the
overall energy strategy. The principle vehicle for achieving 100% electrification goal
is through Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (NITI Aayog 2017). Studies
have revealed that despite major strides made through government programs, the
problem of electricity access did not improve appreciably. An inherent challenge
in the process is ensuring the coverage of households as opposed to only villages.
2 One crore = ten million.
87
India (87 th ) is gradually improving its performance on the EAPI (90th last year). Similar to
China, the country boasts a strong score on the indicator for diversification of import counterparts (5 th ), but its energy system continues to face some significant challenges, particularly
in environmental sustainability (109 th ). India has some of the lowest scores in the EAPI for
CO 2 emissions from electricity production and PM2.5 levels (117 th and 123 rd , respectively).
While sources of pollution are diverse and intermittent (e.g. agricultural crop burning, refuse
combustion, fireworks), the energy sector is a large, consistent contributor to this issue of
major concern. Many solutions have been attempted with varying degrees of impact, but
the country sorely needs a comprehensive plan of action to implement an effective and
sustainable answer.
India also faces an uphill battle to increase energy access and security (95 th ). A large
percentage of the population still lacks access to electricity (101 st ) and uses solid fuels
for cooking (108 th ).
3.4 The Fallacies of Household and Rural Electrification
According to the census report of 2011 (Chandramouli 2011), there were 330,886,373
(33 plus crore
2 ) houses in the country of which 92.5% were occupied. The term
housing in census record incorporates residential buildings, shops, offices, hotels,
guest houses, hospitals, dispensary, and so on. The breakup is provided in Fig. 3.14.
As per this record, there were 23.61 crores residential buildings in 2011. However,
the details submitted (Fig. 3.15) by the government to the Lok Sabha (House of the
People) in November 2018 (Lok Sabha 2018) mentioned that among 21.73 households in the country, 20.79 crores were electrified. Believing that no new residential
building has been added after 2011, there will still be 30 million residential buildings without electricity connectivity (Fig. 3.16). There are many states which are still
below 80% mark such as Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Odisha, and UP. In addition to the discrepancy in number of residential building (that
must have increased by millions after 2011) and tardy progress of some states, there
are issues of sustainability of electricity supply and replacement of biomass fuels.
Energy poverty has its cost (in terms of foregone development) that India has paid
and is likely to pay in future as well. A total of nearly 304 million people still suffer
from want of electricity and there is no reliable data on the number of households
or people who do not have adequate electricity. Lack of access to electricity or inadequate electricity in homes impacts education, health, and economic development,
especially in rural India. Like urban consumers, the rural households have equal right
to get connection and receive efficient services. The national energy policy aims at
achieving 100% electrification by 2022 and will take this to be the main plank of the
overall energy strategy. The principle vehicle for achieving 100% electrification goal
is through Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (NITI Aayog 2017). Studies
have revealed that despite major strides made through government programs, the
problem of electricity access did not improve appreciably. An inherent challenge
in the process is ensuring the coverage of households as opposed to only villages.
2 One crore = ten million.