ABOUT 135 million people, who account for 81 per cent of the total population, not having access to clean cooking is worrying. A global status report, published by the Paris-based renewable energy policy think tank REN21, gave the estimation. The report says that most of Bangladesh’s neighbours are way ahead in access to clean cooking although large portion of people in other South Asian countries also still lack access to clean cooking technology. Not having clean cooking technology is a burden on people’s lives and public health and the economy and environment. Exposure to smoke from polluting open fires that use solid fossil fuels such as coal or kerosene or traditional biomass causes, according to different studies, more than a lakh of premature death in Bangladesh and nearly four million deaths in the world a year. Exposure to smoke from cooking contributes to chronic illnesses such as early childhood pneumonia, lung cancer, emphysema, cataracts, bronchitis, cardiovascular diseases and low birth weight. Women and young children are reportedly the most affected by the use of solid fuels and the resultant indoor air pollution.

Reliance on solid fuels and biomass for cooking and heating also leads to environmental degradation through emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane and aerosols such as black carbon. It also means an increased pressure on natural resources. While more countries are going for the use of renewable energy and biodigesters to get households out of the health traps that the use of solid fuels causes, the majority of people in Bangladesh still use coal, kerosene or traditional biomass in the absence of clean cooking technology. The report also rightly warns of negative health, environmental and economic impact of fossil fuel power generation which enjoys continued investment amidst wide criticism. An overhaul of the entire energy system is what is needed to save the households. But the reality is that Bangladesh is embracing more coal-based power plants. The government in the past came up with promises of sourcing at least 10 per cent power from renewable energy by 2020, but that hardly seems to be the case as the country now generates only 2.61 per cent of power from renewable sources.

The government must, therefore, promote and facilitate all households to go for clean cooking by way of policy interventions to ensure and facilitate renewable energy use. The use of fossil fuels in household cooking or in power generation is a burden that must be done away with as much and early as possible. Safe and clean power generation both in small households and in large power plants are a requisite to a sustainable development.