Over 40% Sindh households rely on fuel wood for cooking

KARACHI:

A huge portion of households in Sindh rely on wood as a primary fuel in their kitchens, reveals the statistics recently released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).

Out of the total 9.862 million households in the province, 4.418 million use wood as fuel for cooking. This includes 3.677 million households in rural and 740,891 in urban areas. Interestingly, even in Karachi Division, around 200,000 households use fuel wood for cooking.

In contrast, 4.672 million households across Sindh use natural gas, while 191,641 households consume liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) in their kitchens. This indicates that wood remains the fuel of choice despite the availability of other alternatives.

The FBS data also reveals that over two million households in Sindh don't have a separate kitchen, underscoring challenges in cooking infrastructure across the province. In Karachi, 65,932 households face similar constraints, while 5.457 million households have access to dedicated kitchen spaces.

The data from different districts within Karachi further illustrates the varied reliance on cooking fuels. For instance, central district has 637,338 households connected to natural gas, with a minority still using wood or other alternatives. Similarly, districts east, south, west, Keamari, Korangi, and Malir show differing patterns of fuel usage, with wood being a notable choice in several areas.

The statistics shine light on the cooking practices and infrastructural disparities within Sindh, urging attention towards improving access to modern cooking facilities across the province.