Lack of access to LPG cylinders, knowledge of government schemes and the prohibitive pricing of cylinders are among major deterrents in the switch from polluting fuels such as biomass to cleaner LPG in low-income households, according to a study conducted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a US government agency, in collaboration with ASAR, an environmental and social impact start-up. The study highlights that for users, ease of access is more important than ease of use when deciding which fuel to use. The study — titled “Barriers to Access, Adoption, and Sustained Use of Cleaner Fuels Among Low-Income Households: An Exploratory Study from Delhi and Jharkhand, India’’ — was released on Monday. Asar Social Impact Advisors conducted the research with focus groups and in-depth interviews in urban communities in Delhi and in several villages of rural Jharkhand, focusing on engaging women above 18 years. USAID India’s environmental adviser, Soumitri Das, said the study, supported by USAID’s Cleaner Air and Better Health project, “will enable us to frame policies and programmes to match the needs of target populations with a focus on gender inclusion”. Neha Saigal, head of gender and climate programme at ASAR, said, “Even though women are at risk of mild to severe health impacts due to toxic fumes from biomass burning, they are often unaware of the consequences and can seldom do anything about it as a cleaner alternative, as LPG is not affordable to most households in the lower socioeconomic strata.” The study also noted, “Users’ perceptions regarding LPG, such as LPG being unsafe, food cooked on LPG being unhealthy and less tasty, combined with supply-side bottlenecks such as challenges in applying for and getting an LPG cylinder, lump-sum cash outflow during ordering refills for an LPG cylinder are some of the factors that act as a hindrance in its sustained use by women in low-income households.” Since 2016, the government has been promoting the use of clean cooking fuels, particularly LPG, especially among the poor and deprived households through its flagship scheme — the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). “While rapid expansion in LPG access is commendable through outreach of PMUY, research suggests that having an LPG connection does not ensure its sustained use by households,” the study reported. It also found that for poorer households, the price of refilling an LPG cylinder was a major hurdle in its usage. “Rising fuel prices along with the removal of government subsidies make the LPG cylinder unaffordable. Low-income households, therefore, turn to biomass, or use biomass along with LPG.” it reported.
