Kerosene use dipping

NEW DELHI: The subsidised cooking fuel, kerosene, has largely been used for lighting in rural areas. The trend is in for a reversal: the usage of kerosene is on the decline while electricity and cooking gas are gaining ground. The percentage of households using electricity for lighting has gone up in 2004-05 compared to 1999-2000.

The percentage increase in use of electricity has gone up from 48% to 55% in rural areas and from 89% to 92% in urban areas. Correspondingly, the proportion of households that still depend on kerosene lamps has come down from 51% to 44% in rural areas and from 10% to 7% in urban India.

These are the findings of a report on energy sources of domestic households for cooking and lighting that was released by the National Sample Survey of India on Monday.

The report that forms part of the National Sample Survey, 61st round, also highlights that such a trend is similar when it comes to the source of energy for cooking as well. While wood continues to be the predominant fuel for cooking, LPG is steadily gaining ground at the expense of kerosene.

The government has been making efforts to expand its rural electrification programme and limit the usage of kerosene for lighting purposes. The government provides a subsidy of more than Rs 13 per litre on kerosene.

In urban India, 57% of households use LPG for cooking, an increase of 13 percentage points over five years. Dependence on kerosene came down by more than half: from 22% in 1999-2000 to 10% in 2004-05.

Another report of the NSS’ 61st round says the households using electricity formed 54% of rural households in 2004-05 compared to 34% in 1993-94. In urban areas, they formed 90% of households in 2004-05 compared to 74% in 1993-94. Also, the proportion of households using LPG has doubled in rural India and increased by about six times in urban India.