MNRE has been continuously engaged in various new ‘improved cookstoves’ initiative that aims to facilitate the development on the next-generation of biomass stoves for household cooking and their widespread deployment. Activities undertaken by MNRE under “New Indian Cook-stove Initiative” are given below:

  • Organization of Brain-storming consultation on improved cook-stoves 7th March 2009.
  • Setting up of Core-Group comprising of experts from Institutions, industries, NGOs and other organizations active in the area of improved cook-stoves.
  • Project taken up on “A new initiative for improved cook-stoves – preparatory activities for launch” through IIT Delhi and TERI: 29th September 2009.
  • Launch of National Improved Cook-stove Initiative 2nd December 2009.
  • Pilot field testing and evaluation of community size biomass cook-stoves for mid-day meals, hostels and eating joints/ dhabas taken up 2nd July 2010.
  • Organized meeting of sub-group on revision of for modified BIS standards and test protocols May 2010
  • Setting up of Steering Committee under the Chairmanship of Member, Planning Commission on National Biomass Cook-stoves Initiative.
  • Steering Committee of Planning recommended for:
    • Innovative on cook-stoves competition through ‘X’ Prize Foundation.
    • Formulation of Section 25 company for providing institutional structure to introduce and operationalize policy interventions.
  • Organization of joint national workshop on 19th May 2010.
  • Testing improved cook-stoves at IMMT, Bhubaneswar and MPUAT Udaipur.
  • Stoves passed BIS Standard: Vikram cook-stove, Harsha Multi-fuel cook-stove, Oorja Cook-stove, Phillips Cook-stove.
  • Excise duty exemption for improved cook-stoves.
  • Improved cook-stoves included in Indira Awas Yojana of the Government.
  • Supporting upgradation of 3 nos. of improved cook-stoves test centres at IIT Delhi, IIMT Bhubaneswar and MPUAT Udaipur and the fourth is already in operation at IISc, Bangalore.
  • Pilot Implementation of various ‘Delivery Models’ for implementation of family type improved cook-stoves including production and supply of processed fuel are being contemplated.

National Programme on Improved Cookstoves (NPIC)

Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, improvement in biomass burning cookstoves to save fuel was considered as an urgent need and various organizations the world over started working towards the same. Several developing countries started national level initiatives to enable the development and deployment of improved stoves. The need for eliminating smoke from the kitchen also emerged as an additional focus in these programmes.

In India, the then Department of Non-conventional Energy Sources (DNES), which was created in 1982 initiated demonstration of improved cook-stoves soon after its inception followed by launching of a Demonstration project on Improved Chulhas in 1983 which was converted to NPIC in 1985. The programme objectives were identified to be (i) fuelwood conservation; (ii) removal/reduction of smoke from kitchens; (iii) reduction of deforestation and environmental degradation; (iv) reduction in the drudgery of tasks performed by women and girl-children and their consequent exposure to health hazards; and (v) employment generation in rural areas (MNES, 1998). In 1992, the DNES was upgraded to Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources (MNES) and continued to manage this programme. (In 2009, the ministry was renamed as Ministry for New and Renewable Resources (MNRE)).

The NPIC was implemented through involvement of various State Nodal Departments/ Agencies in almost all the States and Union Territories. Technical and training support to the programme was provided by 22 Technical Back-up Support Units (TBSUs), set up under the NPIC at different universities, IITs and other institutions of the country. More than 60 fixed and portable models of improved chulhas, with and without chimney, single-pot and multi-pot, suitable for different fuels, cooking habits and local requirements and using different materials of construction were developed and taken up for installation under NPIC (MNRE website). Some of the models approved by MNES are listed in Appendix A1The improved chulhas were installed for family, community and industrial applications with the help of state level nodal departments and agencies, through their district and block level cells. At the village level, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and self-employed workers (SEW) played an important role in the dissemination of improved cookstoves. Annual targets, decided at the national level and then forwarded for implementation at the state level were the main driving force for the programme, supported heavily by subsidy. The cost of chulhas varied in the range of Indian Rs 100–300, 50–75% of which was met by a direct cash subsidy given under the NPIC (Kishore and Ramana, 2002).

A total of 35.2 million improved chulhas were installed by 2003 under this programme with varying degree of success in different regions in the country Some models had better acceptability than others in specific regions. Certain regions showed greater enthusiasm on the part of the users to adopt new designs. For a variety of reasons the programme brought a mixed bag of experiences (Kishore & Ramana, 2002, Aggarwal & Chandel, 2004). The programme was formally declared closed in 2004.

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