Analysing solid residential fuel usage patterns in rural and urban slums of Delhi: Implications for pollution reduction and sustainable practices

• Published in: Energy for sustainable development 2024-06, Vol.80, p.101460, Article 101460
• Main Authors: Mondal, Arnab, Jangirh, Ritu, Arya, Rahul, Yadav, Lokesh, Ahlawat, Sakshi, Yadav, Pooja, Paliyal, Paramjeet Singh, Bobde, Prakash, Ghosh, Paulami, Mondal, Surajit, Rai, Akansha, Banoo, Rubiya, Chaudhary, Nikki, Rani, Martina, Kotnala, Garima, Nemitz, Eiko, Sharma, Sudhir Kumar, Mandal, Tuhin Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Delhi; Fuelwoods; Gross calorific values; Household energy generation; Prediction models for biomass fuel usage; Residential fuel combustion hotspots; Residential fuels
• ISSN: 0973-0826
• DOI: 10.1016/j.esd.2024.101460

India aims to reduce pollution from solid residential fuel use and promote clean energy through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) scheme launched in 2016. The scheme targeted below-poverty-line (BPL) families using traditional stoves by providing free LPG connections. BPL families in urban slums and village dwellers of Delhi are major users of solid residential fuel. This study investigates the overlying reasons by surveying ∼6500 households from ∼700 urban slums and villages and identifying high consumption areas and fuel use patterns. The urban slums and villages of Delhi reported a total usage of 0.415 Mt. residential fuels annually for the year 2019 (72 % fuelwood, 27 % dung cake, 0.002 % crop residue, and 0.001 % coal). An interrelation of household energy consumption patterns, socio-economic demographics, and kitchen characteristics is also presented in the study. The energy-ladder hypothesis was found to be validated in slums while the linearity of the hypothesis was contradicted in rural areas as the use of traditional stoves was driven by food preferences rather than economic constraints. Predictive models were developed to estimate residential fuel usage for space heating and water heating during winters, which are not reported by NSSO annual reports. The study also calculated the gross calorific values of biomass fuels to assess their energy content. This information aids in further understanding biomass combustion efficiency and the importance of transitioning to cleaner energy sources like LPG for sustainable practices. This study estimated an additional annual $10.04 million in Government aid is sufficient to minimize pollutant load emanating from residential fuel combustion by providing free LPG refills to economically weaker households. This action has the potential to reduce residential fuel usage for cooking significantly leading to a decrease in pollution levels across the megacity. •Slums and rural areas of Delhi used 0.415 Mt. solid residential fuels in 2019.•Annual usage of 0.3 Mt. FW, 0.112 Mt. DC, minimal consumption of CR and coal•The energy ladder hypothesis holds in slums but is contradicted in villages.•Two predictive models used for estimating SBFs for space and water heating.•10 hotspot grids over Delhi accounted 51 % of total solid residential fuel usage.•A simple policy proposed for mitigating solid residential fuels in Delhi.