Government making efforts to reduce dependence on traditional biomass cooking

36,940 family type and 849 community type improved cook stoves distributed under the Unnat Chulha Abhiyan

About 7.05 lakh solar cookers distributed/sold through the State Governments

3.45 crore LPG connection given under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

As per Census 2011, about 65.9 per cent of households depend on solid biomass, including firewood, crop residue and cow dung as primary fuel for cooking in India. The use of traditional biomass for cooking through simple traditional cook stove is a cause of indoor air pollution due to incomplete combustion of biomass which produces a range of toxic products.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is already implementing various programmes with a view to provide alternate cooking solutions which would help in reducing dependence of traditional biomass cooking. These include:

1. The Unnat Chulha Abhiyan programme launched in June 2014 for promotion of improved biomass cook stove in the country for providing a clean cooking energy solution with a view to reduce consumption of fuel wood with higher efficiency and low emissions. So far 36,940 family type and 849 community type improved cook stoves have been distributed.
2. National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP) for setting up of family type household biogas plants for meeting cooking energy needs of rural and semi urban areas and to save the use of firewood. About 49.6 lakh family type biogas plants have been installed in the country so far.
3. Promoting solar cookers to reduce the indoor air pollution. About 7.05 lakh solar cookers have been distributed / sold through the State Government so far.
4. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas aims to safeguard the health of women & children by providing them with clean cooking fuel through LPG. Under this scheme, 8 crore new LPG connections will be provided to women’s belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families up to 2020. More than 3.45 crore connection have been given under PMUY since the launch of the Scheme.

This information was provided by Shri R.K. Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.