Ideation meetup on ‘Mitigating Household Air Pollution in Delhi’s Low-Income Neighbourhoods’
[Picture credit: ASAR, from the ideation meeting, 10 March 2024 ]
On May 10 2024, Asar hosted an ideation meetup on ‘Mitigating Household Air Pollution in Delhi’s Low-Income Neighbourhoods’ at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. Mr Kumar Satyam from Finovista participated in a productive and engaging ideation meeting as a speaker. 29 other participants from diverse sectors and focus areas including clean cooking, air pollution, climate change, health, housing and urban planning, governance, research and gender advocacy were present for the sessions.
The Meetup was spread across three sessions.: First session highlighted the need to strengthen the discourse around clean cooking in the context of larger issue of black carbon and climate change, using the narrative of inequality in exposure to household air pollution and highlighting economic benefits of shifting to clean cooking further led to saving medical costs.
Second session highlighted the diverse aspects of the clean cooking challenge, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts from departments including health, women and child development, urban planning, housing, energy, environment, and corporate affairs. Insights from prior research were presented to underscore the importance of collaborative actions across these sectors.
In the third session, there was a strong emphasis on the need to investigate alternative clean cooking technologies beyond LPG, including electric, smokeless solutions, and solar options. It was highlighted that raising community awareness about these alternatives is essential for their sustainable adoption.
Mr Satyam had an opportunity to speak about the concept of utilizing eCooking as a feasible substitute for LPG.
Several intriguing insights surfaced during the discussions, especially following in-depth conversations with women from rural areas of the capital and a deeper understanding of the potential challenges associated with transitioning to eCooking, such as.: –
Tenants are paying exploitative electricity prices compared to landlords, which is a major barrier to the widespread adoption of eCooking appliances in households. ·
Many faced substantial hurdles in acquiring LPG connections, leading to reluctance in considering a transition to eCooking devices. This issue has its root in financial dependency of women, limiting their involvement in household financial decisions. ·
Most of slum areas, migrant colonies, and ultra-poor households in Delhi are not connected to electricity grid. Even if they have access to electricity, wiring may not be adequate to support electrical appliances. This poses a challenge for the widespread adoption of eCooking and necessitates device manufacturers to provide proper installation, changing wires and sockets.
It is very interesting to see that despite several challenges women are interested and showed their enthusiasm for eCooking considering the cost and health benefits it has over the regular cooking fuel.
They further expressed the need for detailed cost calculations, safety measures, and inclusion of diverse cuisines before giving their agreement on eCooking as a good alternative.
Discussion also threw some lights on the gaps in implementation, which include these:-
o Awareness: Many people are unfamiliar with the diversity of eCooking devices beyond induction cooktops, but they are very much aware of the energy efficiency and cost advantages of eCooking. The credit goes to induction and radiation based cooking devices. Those who have used these devices know the benefits and they are willing to explore more eCooking devices.
o Supply chain: Manufacturers need to prioritize adequate wiring and connections in their sales requirements, especially when targeting sectors with insufficient infrastructure.
o Behavioral Change: It’s crucial to recognize that changing behavior is a gradual and continuous process. Lessons can be learned from the broad adoption of mobile phones and smartphones, even among less educated or older individuals. Furthermore, advancing women’s empowerment as decision-makers within families remains an ongoing goal.
o Government Policies: GOI has made strides by promoting LPG through initiatives such as the Ujjwala Yojana and incorporating eCooking into the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s Go Electric campaign. Looking ahead, there should be a focus on achieving universal electrification and implementing tailored awareness campaigns for eCooking.
While the road to widespread clean cooking adoption has been fraught with challenges, the initial steps have laid a crucial foundation. Small, yet significant progress is being made through these innovative meetups, demonstrating the feasibility of this transition. These early successes, though limited, serve as beacons of hope, inspiring further investment and innovation. The focus is not transformation but transition. The motive of MECS programme is not to replace LPG suddenly but to gradually transition to clean fuels. Fuel stacking also is in this way considered a step forward.
Moreover, the growing global awareness of the health, environmental, and economic impacts of traditional cooking fuels is creating a momentum for change. As technology advances and policies evolve, the potential for accelerated progress becomes increasingly evident. It is in these incremental steps and growing support that the seeds of a cleaner, healthier future for millions are being sown.
The meetup facilitated collaborative efforts to develop crucial solutions aimed at improving access to clean cooking fuel for disadvantaged communities, exploring diverse approaches to achieve this goal.