Blowing into firewood for food!

Firewood, one of the oldest fuel, is used in households in India especially for rural households since it is their main source of cooking food. The use of firewood in rural areas is still predominant since it is often the only available, accessible and affordable fuel in the region. In the current scenario, where we are claiming to be at the forefront of development, around 12.7% of households of a state are still cooking on firewood.

Hyderabad:Cooking using firewood was popular in many rural areas, estates and low-income families in many parts of India.

Earlier, during ancient times, no food was cooked until you blow it into the fire!! But, even in today’s modern India, the status remains the same in many households.

In the current scenario, where we are claiming to be at the forefront of development, around 12.7% of households of a state are still cooking on firewood.

The latest national 76th sample survey reveals that this problem is highly rampant in the rural villages, reaching about 18.4% of the households of the village.

The following is the statistical display of figures, as a ready reckoner:

Per cent of households across the nation, using firewood for cooking: 31.2%

State-wide usage of firewood/crop waste for cooking:

Andhra Pradesh – 12.7%
Telangana – 4.9%
Karnataka – 16.2%
Tamilnadu – 8.4%

State-wide LPG Utilization for cooking:

Andhra Pradesh – 81.3%
Telangana – 90.7%
Karnataka – 81.4%
Tamilnadu – 86.7%

Across the nation, the Telangana state tops the list as the highest number of household utilization of LPG for cooking.

Nation-wide, around 61.4% of households are using LPG for cooking.

Families leading nomadic lives without any proper provision of cooking needs:

Urban areas of Andhra Pradesh – 11.9%
Urban areas of Telangana – 7.7%

Families having proper facilities like Kitchens for cooking food:

Andhra Pradesh – 67.5%
Telangana – 63.9%
Karnataka – 79.3%
Tamilnadu – 76.8%

In the nation as a whole, about 60.2% of families still do not have separate kitchens.

In Kerala, about 37.8% are still cooking on firewood.

However, around 96% of families have separate kitchens to cook food.

The best part is that most of these households are seen in villages and rural areas.

Still, we find many households utilizing cow-dung cakes for fire in the house-hold cooking.