Kerosene story – the southern States

1. ‘Kerosene story – the southern States‘
Energy Access: tracing the contours of deprivation
Dr. Satish Balram Agnihotri
Part – IV (3) : Southern States

2. Kerala has shown significant reduction in Kerosene Consumption for lighting. While
in 2001 most sub-districts had more than 15 % (some over 40%) rural households
were using it there are only three such sub districts now (16% - 20%) in 2011. In
urban Kerala (not shown in map) most sub districts have <5% households using
kerosene for lighting with only one where this % is >10 %
Kerosene as Source of Light in Rural Kerala
< 6%
6% - 15%
> 15%
< 6%
6% - 15%
> 15%

3. •Kerala has done extremely well when it comes to use of
kerosene as fuel for cooking. In no sub district more than 0.5
% households use kerosene except in Kochi where the % is
0.6 !
•In urban kerala too, no sub district in 2011 has more that 1%
population using kerosene as fuel for cooking except Palakkad
(1.3%) and Kochi 2.8%)
•It is interesting to look at the energy mix used in Kerala for
the purpose of coking. It does throw up some surprises.
What about cooking ?

4. Fire-wood
73%
Crop residue
1%
Cowdung
cake
0%
Coal,Lignite,
Charcoal
0%
Kerosene
0%
LPG/PNG
25%
Electricity
0%
Biogas
1%
Any other
0%
No cooking
0%
Fire-wood
49%
Crop residue
1%
Cowdung
cake
0%
Coal,Lignite,
Charcoal
0%
Kerosene
1%
LPG/PNG
48%
Electricity
0%
Biogas
1%
Any other
0%
No cooking
0%
Fuel sources for cooking: Kerala (U)Fuel sources for cooking: Kerala (R)
Between themselves, LPG and firewood, account of most energy
consumption both in the urban and the rural areas. All other sources are
insignificant. Second, there is relatively low use of LPG in rural and,
surprisingly, urban areas

5. In Tamil Nadu, the range of urban households using kerosene for lighting has
reduced from 1.3% - 44% in 2001 to 0.7 – 21.7% in 2011. Sub – districts where
less than 6% do so (shown in green) has increased substantially. Yet in large parts
of urban Tamil Nadu more than 6% households still use Kerosene for lighting.
Kerosene as Source of Light in Urban Tamil Nadu
< 6%
6% - 13%
> 13%
< 6%
6% - 13%
> 13%

6. < 10%
10% - 20%
> 20%
< 10%
10% - 20%
> 20%
In rural areas the range of households using kerosene for lighting has reduced from
10.3% - 50.4% in 2001 to 2.0 – 25.9% in 2011 and sub – districts where less than
10% do so (shown in green) has increased substantially. But, there are compact
patches where this % exceeds 10% and may need specific focus.
Kerosene as Source of Light in Rural Tamil Nadu

7. In rural areas the use of kerosene as fuel for cooking has been low since 2001. A large
south western part of the state having more than 3% households using kerosene as
fuel along with a small northern tip. This area has marginally reduced in 2011. In rest
of the state this use is confined to less than 3% households.
Kerosene as Fuel used for Cooking in Rural Tamil Nadu
< 3%
3% - 12%
> 12%
< 3%
3% - 12%
> 12%

8. In urban areas the use of kerosene as a fuel has remained above 8% in a fairly
large area in 2011 although there is a significant decrease in the units where
more than 15% households were using kerosene as fuel in 2001 (shown in red).
Kerosene as Fuel used for Cooking in Urban Tamil Nadu
< 8%
8% - 15%
> 15%
< 8%
8% - 15%
> 15%

9. In urban Karnataka the use of kerosene for lighting has reduced to below 6%
households in a large part (shown in green) with hardly 4-5 sub districts where this
exceeds 12%. But in a fairly large compact area in north eastern Karnataka more
than 6% households continue to depend on kerosene for lighting even in 2011.
Kerosene as Source of Light in Urban Karnataka
< 6%
6% - 12%
> 12%
< 6%
6% - 12%
> 12%

10. In large parts of rural Karnataka more than 10% households still depend on kerosene
for lighting (shown in yellow) with a clear west – east strip where this is above 20%
(shown in red) even though area where less than 10% households use kerosene for
lighting has increased considerably (shown in green).
Kerosene as Source of Light in Rural Karnataka
< 10%
10% - 20%
> 20%
< 10%
10% - 20%
> 20%

11. Even in 2011 a large southern part of urban Karnataka has more than 6%
households using kerosene as fuel for cooking (shown in yellow) with a compact strip
where this is above 15% (shown in red) though area where less than 6% households
do so has increased considerably (shown in green).
Kerosene as Fuel used for Cooking in Urban Karnataka

12. • In rural Karnataka however, use of kerosene as fuel for
cooking has traditionally been low.
• Barring Bangalore rural where this usage is prevailing in
more than 10% households, rest of the state reports a
usage level of 2% or low.
• Two interesting inferences can be drawn from this; a) even
in and around Bangalore LPG has not dented the usage of
kerosene and b) solar light has not been able to capture
the space occupied by kerosene for lighting.
• We will go into some more details during the state wise
analysis. Let us look at how Andhra Pradesh fares.

13. Rural Andhra has done remarkably in reducing its dependence on kerosene for
lighting with areas where more than 33% households depend on kerosene coming
sharply down (shown in red) and area where this dependence is below 10% (shown
in green) going up considerable. But the 10-33% patch is large enough for concern
and for thinking of solar as an alternative.
Kerosene as Source of Light in Rural Andhra Pradesh
< 10%
10% - 33%
> 33%
< 10%
10% - 33%
> 33%

14. Sparse urbanisation not withstanding, urban Andhra too has done remarkably well
in reducing its dependence on kerosene for lighting with large areas where this
dependence is below 5 % (shown in green).
Kerosene as Source of Light in Urban Andhra Pradesh
< 5%
5% - 10%
> 10%
< 5%
5% - 10%
> 10%

15. The story is similar in use of kerosene for cooking as well with most parts of urban
Andhra reporting the dependence on kerosene as fuel for cooking being below 6 %
(shown in green) except certain patches near Hyderabad.
Kerosene as Fuel used for Cooking in Urban Andhra Pradesh
<6%
6% - 15%
> 15%
< 6%
6% - 15%
> 15%

16. In rural Andhra too, the region where less than 1% households use kerosene as fuel
for cooking is quite large (shown in green). But before coming to any quick
conclusion it will be useful to analyze the fuel mix.
Kerosene as Fuel used for Cooking in Rural Andhra Pradesh
< 1%
1% - 5%
> 5%
< 1%
1% - 5%
> 5%

17. Fire-wood
1,06,74,095
75%
Crop residue
2%
Cowdung cake
1%
Coal,Lignite,Charcoal
0%
Kerosene
1%
LPG/PNG
21%
Electricity
0%
Biogas
0%
Any
other
0%
No cooking
0%
Fuel sources for cooking in Andhra Pradesh (Rural)
Rural Andhra has significant dependence on fire wood. LPG (21%) and fire wood
(75%) account for most fuel sources as in the case of Kerala

18. Fire-wood
19%
Crop residue
1%
Cowdung cake
0%
Coal,Lignite,Charcoal
1%Kerosene
10%
LPG/PNG
68%
Electricity
0%
Biogas
1%
Any other
0%
No
cooking
0%
The urban usage pattern for cooking energy is similar to that seen for Tamil
Nadu where LPG accounts for 68% of the fuel mix no doubt, but nearly 7 lakh
households (10%) still use kerosene as fuel for cooking
Fuel sources for cooking in Andhra Pradesh (Urban)

19. 1. The four southern states thus have a good track record in low
usage of kerosene for lighting though the potential of solar
home lighting has not been exploited.
2. As regards reducing usage of kerosene as fuel for cooking,
Kerala has an enviable record which its neighbours need to
emulate.
3. In terms of fuel mix, there is very little use of any bio mass other
than fuel wood; a pattern considerably different from the
northern states.
4. The contrast between the better off northern states and the four
southern states is noteworthy, but there is a much sharper
contrast awaiting us when we look at the BIMARU states which
emerge as the seat of a far enduring deprivation in terms of the
energy poverty