LPG Crunch Shifts Focus to Coal, Cow Dung As Experts Warn Of Pollution And Health Risks

New Delhi: The ripple effects of the ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf are now being felt far beyond global shipping routes and oil markets, reaching deep into Indian households and kitchens.

A sharp spike in cooking gas prices and an emerging shortage of LPG cylinders have forced families, small businesses, and eateries to revert to traditional fuels such as firewood, cow dung, and coal, triggering both economic strain and environmental alarm.

Across several parts of the country, the rising cost and limited availability of LPG have disrupted daily life, particularly for middle and lower income households. What began as a modest shift toward alternative fuels has now turned into a widespread trend, with demand for firewood and coal witnessing a dramatic surge.

Traders dealing in these fuels report a steep increase in both sales and prices. Vijay Kumar, a trader of cow dung and coal, described how rapidly the situation has evolved. “Initially, there was a slight increase in sales, reaching around 20 per cent of the total stuff we have. That figure has now climbed to 60-70 per cent. While hotels and dhabas are now calling me to keep coal for them in large quantities, families too are purchasing cow dung and coal. Whatever I trade almost gets over by evening. Cow dung that previously cost Rs 5-10 per piece is now selling for Rs 15 per piece while coal prices have risen from Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg,” he told ETV Bharat.

The surge in demand, now estimated at nearly 50 per cent in some areas, has led to a corresponding rise in prices, raising concerns that the situation could worsen in the coming weeks if LPG supply constraints persist.

For many households, the switch is not a matter of choice but compulsion. Praveen Verma, a resident who recently purchased firewood, highlighted the financial strain caused by the crisis. “Previously, my wife used to cook our meals using cylinder that she was used carefully. However, cylinders are currently unavailable. Even if one manages to find one it costs up to Rs 4,000 in the black market. Under these circumstances, middle-class individuals like us can't afford to purchase them. Hence, we are now cooking using firewood,” he said.

Food being cooked on a coal fired stove (ETV Bharat)

The impact extends beyond homes to the informal food sector, where small eateries and roadside dhabas are grappling with rising operational costs. Many have already made the switch back to coal and firewood to sustain their businesses.

A street-side dhaba chef, Prem Chand explained the dilemma, “We are not getting commercial cylinders. The one we are getting is priced above Rs 5,000. So we shifted to coal and are cooking food with it now like old days.”

While this transition may provide temporary financial relief, experts warn that it comes with significant environmental and health consequences. The return to solid fuels, once steadily replaced by cleaner LPG under government initiatives, marks a worrying reversal of progress.

Environmentalists point out that burning firewood, coal, and biomass releases far higher levels of harmful pollutants compared to LPG. Rajesh Paul, an environmentalist, cautioned, “The shift to firewood and coal is a significant environmental setback. Unlike LPG, which burns relatively clean, solid fuels release high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon monoxide, and black carbon. A 30–40 per cent increase in their usage can directly worsen both indoor and outdoor air quality, especially in densely populated regions.”

Echoing similar concerns, environmental scientist Dr Hishmi Jamil Husain said the effects would be felt both inside homes and in the broader atmosphere. “As many households are using firewood and coal for cooking, indoor air quality of the houses is going to be impacted, and it is also going to impact the outdoor air quality by contributing PM2.5 as well as carbon monoxide and black carbon. Black carbon is very significant when we talk about the climate change,” he noted.

Experts also underline the disproportionate burden the shift places on vulnerable groups, particularly women and children. Manu Singh, an environmentalist, described the transition as more than just an economic adjustment.

“The shift from LPG to firewood and coal is not merely an economic adjustment, it is an environmental regression with deeply human consequences. Solid fuels like wood and coal produce significantly higher levels of particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and black carbon, all of which worsen both indoor and ambient air pollution".

Manu said a 40 per cent surge in demand could intensify localized smog, particularly in peri-urban and rural belts. "Beyond statistics, this transition quietly burdens households, especially women and children, with toxic air and health risks, and that too after continuous pulmonological stress year after year due to more than 150 days of poor AQI every year specially in North India,” he said.

Adding to the concern, environmental campaigner Bharati Chaturvedi pointed out that the shift undermines years of policy effort aimed at promoting clean cooking fuel. “So many people are using firewood and some of them are even using other forms of biomass, and this is really a problem because the government of India has focused so much on the Ujjwala scheme and just because of this war, the benefits of the scheme are being diluted. This is terrible. The way it's going to affect people is that women's health will be very severely impacted. The smoke that they will be breathing from this wild cooking is very toxic. It also includes carbon black,” she said.

Bharati further highlighted the risks to infants and young children exposed to such environments. “On top of that, women tend to hold babies near them. A lot of babies suffer from upper respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, because of the way that mothers cook using biomass. Biomass is the word for all kinds of organic material, including firewood. So there's a huge health problem that we're looking at. Then there is the additional air pollution problem", she said.

Bharati said biomass burning is a significant cause of air pollution across India. "And now, now that this is happening, it's going to be a disaster for air pollution. We put so much money in, in the Fifth Finance Commission, and so much effort has gone. One war is making us reduce efforts. Finally, carbon black is also something that contributes to global warming,” she added.

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