Rural Energy Scenario in India- A Case Study of District Sirsa (Haryana)

Abstract

Traditional fuels used at present, have inherent disadvantages. Collection is arduous and time consuming. Combustion is difficult to control and cooking methods captures only a fraction of fuel’s available energy. Accessibility to and availability of fuels for domestic purposes is becoming more difficult day by day for poor people, many of whom are outside the modern energy system. Also, most of energy consumed in rural areas does not enter the organized market place; we therefore have no accurate data on pattern of supply and consumption of energy in rural areas. Since even the collection of free firewood involves enormous drudgery, the supply of minimum amount of energy for every household is important objective for participatory development. With this background, the paper attempts to discuss the energy issue in general and rural energy scenario in particular.
Keywords: Rural areas; rural household; rural energy