Though nearly 9.59 crore LPG connections have been issued as of March 2023 under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), high refill costs, complex application process, absence of doorstep delivery and poor grievance redressal mechanisms have proved barriers hindering the access, adoption and sustained use of the green fuel among low-income households in India, a study supported by the USAID has said.
The study is a part of a project of Cleaner Air and Better Health (CABH), a consortium headed by independent think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water. It aims at identifying the challenges impeding a shift away from unclean biomass fuels, guiding policy interventions and driving behavioral change.
The study examined multiple dimensions, including women’s attitudes towards biomass usage, the adoption and sustained use of LPG, perceptions of household air pollution (HAP), and awareness about the health risks linked to HAP.
Implemented in 2016, the PMUY scheme aims to provide LPG connections, a gas stove and a 14.2 kg cylinder to deprived households.
However, it is facing several challenges, with affordability being a major concern as volatile household incomes often collide with the high cost of LPG refills. A significant portion of households, around 41 per cent according to the National Family Health Survey, still rely on solid fuels, primarily due to economic constraints. Gender norms, systemic factors and a lack of awareness around LPG benefits compound these challenges. Women above the age of 18, who are the primary fuel users, participated in 10 focus group discussions and nine in-depth interviews in the selected regions.
The contrasting states of Jharkhand, where 67.8 percent of households use solid fuel, and Delhi, with only 0.8 per cent of such households, were chosen to provide a comprehensive view of the issue.
One of the central findings is that the ease of access to fuel sources determines the choice of cooking fuel among low-income households.
The study also found that most participants were unfamiliar with the concept of household air pollution, highlighting the need for extensive awareness campaigns. The complexity of the application process and the lack of customer-centric distribution further amplify the challenge. The study noted a heavy reliance on community networks for information dissemination, indicating the need for targeted communication strategies.
“This study will enable us to frame policies and programs to match the needs of target populations, with a focus on gender inclusion,” USAID/India’s Environmental Advisor, Soumitri Das, said while Neha Saigal, Head of the Gender and Climate Programme at Asar Social Impact Advisors, was of the view that even though women are at risk of mild to severe health impacts due to the toxic fumes from biomass burning. they are often unaware of it.