Women’s Health and Household Fuels Used-An Analysis

According to the National Sample Survey (NSS) conducted in 1999–2000, more than 70 percent of all households in India used solid fuels mostly biomass, such as firewood and dung, but also coke and coal as their primary cooking fuels. For convenience, cleanliness, and public health, gaseous fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or piped natural gas are the preferred fuels for cooking, followed by kerosene. The study attempts to focus on social, environmental and economic dimensions of house-hold fuel use in Tuticorin District and find feasible solutions to minimize indoor air pollution and to move to better fuels and its effects on women’s health. The present study has covered the three villages from Tuticorin District viz, Meelavittan, Mullakkadu and Korampallam. Totally 238 women respondents were selected by using simple random sampling method. The data relates to the month of January 2011. It could be concluded that 72 per cent of the women respondents said "yes" to healthier alternative fuel. 28 per cent of the respondents said "no" to alternative fuel. The result of chi-square- test (χ2=51.88, P=<.0001,) revealed that there is significant difference between healthier alternative fuel and type of fuels used in Tuticorin District. It could be concluded that 82 per cent of the women respondents have their kitchen, with window and 19 per cent of the respondents have kitchen without window. The chi-square test value (χ 2 = 85.36, P==<.0001) assured that the variation is significant at 1% probability level, which indicates there is significant difference between environmentally healthier kitchen type of fuels used