In news : A survey by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) found that only half of the 86% households in urban slum with LPG connections use LPG exclusively
Key findings
- The study finds that while the number of LPG connections has increased dramatically over the past decade due to Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, exclusive use of LPG is limited to just over half of the total households in urban slums
- Areas covered under the survey: It has looked at urban slums across six states such as Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and 83 urban slums across 58 districts. The six states account for nearly a quarter of India’s urban slum population.
- Indoor air pollution: CEEW study found that 16 per cent of households are still using traditional fuels such as firewood, dung cakes, agricultural residue, charcoal, and kerosene as their primary fuel and over a third are stacking LPG with these polluting fuels.
- Reasons for using polluting fuels: As per the study, Deficient infrastructure leads to households either not having access to electricity or not being able to afford it and therefore resorting to polluting fuels for heating in the winter, negating the positive effects of the LPG.
- Delivery of cylinders: It further highlighted that 37 per cent of LPG-using slum households do not receive doorstep delivery of cylinders.
- Awareness: The study has recommended leveraging platforms like LPG Panchayats to increase awareness regarding the process of subsidy calculation and disbursement for households.
Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)
- It is one of Asia’s leading not-for-profit policy research institutions.
- The CEEW was founded in 2010
- CEEW uses data, integrated analysis, and strategic outreach to explain and change the use, reuse, and misuse of resources.
- Its research areas include-include resource efficiency and security; water resources; renewable energy; sustainability finance; energy-trade-climate linkages; integrated energy, environment and water plans; and climate geoengineering governance
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
- Ministry: Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
- The scheme provides cash assistance up to Rs 1600/- for providing new LPG connection is provided by the Central Government.
- Target beneficiaries: Socio-economic caste census(SECC) list or from seven other identified categories + all left out poor families under PMUY