DEHRADUN: LPG gas cylinder in Uttarakhand hills costs more than 35-40 per cent usual due to transportation costs making it difficult for people to use it regularly.
A unit of the cylinder costs Rs 935.50 which reaches to Rs 1,200-1,800 in various parts of remote hills of Uttarakhand.
The cost of a unit of the LPG cylinder reaches Rs 1,800 till it reaches Jumma village of Dharchula in Pithoragarh district.
Anandi Devi from the village says, "The cylinders needed to be carried manually which costs Rs 600 extra till the village. Also, Rs 200 more needs to be paid for transportation costs. This makes the cost almost double."
In Kotkendri village of Champawat district, the original cost of the LPG cylinder rises to Rs 1,500 from Rs 943.
Neeraj Singh from the village said, "Due to bad connectivity, unavailability of transportation and tough terrain Rs 600 extra costs adds the price over Rs 1,500. This added burden is not easy to bear for the majority of the families residing in hilly stars of Uttarakhand."
According to the biennial report of the Forest Survey of India released in the year 2020, Uttarakhand has a carbon stock of 370912 tonnes while the state still uses 4076 tonnes of firewood annually as fuel for various purposes including cooking.
The report also revealed an increase in forest cover in 10 districts of Uttarakhand in the last two years time while three districts have recorded a decrease.
Tough terrains coupled with the unavailability of roads, other infrastructure results in various problems including mobile connectivity as well as highly inflated prices of items of daily use.
Common salt costs Rs 20 per kilogram at prices over Rs 100 per kilogram in many border villages of Pithoragarh district where this essential item is being sold at Rs 130 per kilogram.
In three village panchayats with 13 villages of India-China border in the district- Burfu, Laspa and Raalam face the issue, not around the year but often.