Households, businesses shift to biofuel for cooking

Experts claim burning cheaper fuel sources like wood, coal and animal manure can aggravate air pollution in the city

LAHORE:

When inflation hits any economy, consumers naturally shift to cheaper alternatives for fulfilling their daily household needs yet this strategic change in preference comes at a high environmental cost for the province, when households and businesses, burdened by soaring gas prices, start switching to hazardous biofuels for lighting their stoves.

Bashiran Bibi, a resident of Manhala, a border area of Lahore, was initially using cooking gas for running her kitchen until the increase in the per unit cost of gas caused her monthly bill to surpass Rs10,000.

“In such a scenario poor people have to choose between feeding their children and paying their bills. Therefore, the majority of villagers in my area are now using wood, dry bushes and cattle dung for lighting their stoves. Some people buy wood, while others bring dry branches from trees near the border area or purchase cow dung patties for Rs500 per mound,” shared Bashiran.

Apart from residents, business owners like Ismail Khan, who runs a small hotel in Gulberg, have also started switching from gas to wood, coal and LPG.

“In February, I received a gas bill worth Rs180,000. I run a small hotel for sustenance, how could I afford to pay such a hefty bill. Henceforth, I have started using wood for cooking food, coal for keeping the food warm while LPG is used for making tea.

These alternatives costs me a lot less than gas since dry wood of Acacia is available for Rs1600 to Rs1800 per mound, while coal is sold at Rs4000,” said Khan, who also confessed that despite being a cheaper alternative, these fuel sources were contributing to the smoke and pollution in the environment.

While consumers and business owners might be satisfied with their reduced costs, environmental experts have warned against the usage of wood, coal and dung cake as fuel since they release copious amounts of toxins into the atmosphere. Even though, with summers just around the corner, the air pollution might not be felt the same way as in the winter, these particles will still occupy the atmosphere and will reduce the air quality.

According to the Punjab Urban Unit’s Sectorial Emission Inventory 2023, the percentage of commercial fuel in Lahore’s air composition was 0.14 per cent, while domestic fuel comprised 0.11 per cent of the pollution.

Mujtaba Baig, an environmentalist claimed that the use of wood, coal and animal dung as fuel was the fourth major source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in the world. “Even though Pakistan is among those countries whose share in greenhouse gas emissions is comparatively negligible, we have still been affected by global warming. Therefore, like the other countries we must also aim to reduce atmospheric pollution and ban activities which lead to carbon emissions,” asserted Baig.

In addition to their harmful effects on the environment, medical experts also warn that smoke produced by burning biofuel, garbage or crops is harmful to human health since it can trigger cardiac, respiratory, nervous, ophthalmological and dermatological illnesses.

Ali Ijaz, Deputy Director of the Environment Protection Department Punjab, while speaking to the Express Tribune said, “There is no ban in the country on the usage of wood and coal as fuel in homes. However, burning trees, rubber tyres, coal and plastic waste for fuel, is a cause for concern.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2024.