Cooking Fires Poisoning the Air We Breathe, Says Indian Govt Study
From Times of India
Every year, 1 million people — among them at least 100,000 children – die prematurely in India because of the simple act of cooking, the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation's latest study says. Ambient air pollution kills 627,426, road accidents 273,835 and complications from inadequate sanitation cause 111,624 deaths.
Cooking with polluting fuel constitutes a significant health and environmental hazard, indoor air pollution affecting more Indians than residents of any country. A major, though under-reported, source of this is cooking on open fires and traditional chullhas. Fumes from household cooking fires trigger up to 30% of fine-particulate ambient pollution, a government study shows.
According to the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a public-private partnership hosted by the UN Foundation, 3 billion people the world over rely on biomass as primary sources of cooking and heating. Indians are worst hit, for more than 70% of the population lives in its vast rural stretches.
“India has the capacity and innovation to be a global leader in developing clean cook stoves and fuels — at the government level and in the private sector,” said Radha Muthiah, CEO of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.
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