When the Indian government revitalised its campaign to shift households from wood-fire to cooking gas, it was praised as a major policy push that could reduce health hazards, pollution and even dangers associated with collecting firewood. Recent supply disruptions propelled it to incentivise piped gas over LPG cylinders, even as urban buyers rushed to buy electrical stoves. Now, new research reinforces the rewards of going electric. Clinician Ashwini Sehgal’s research in Cleveland with support from the US Environmental Protection Agency shows switching from a gas stove to an electric one means clear relief for those suffering from asthma. While pushing for going electric at a faster clip, we would do well to learn from the earlier failures in ridding ourselves of wood-fire. It’s a deeply cultural aspect of life that needs empathetic messaging.
