Uploaded on 2016-08-02 by Yugdeep

Coal and oil are the most important fossil fuels used by India with gas being a distant third. Electricity generation makes up for most of coal consumption while oil is mostly used for transportation. Petroleum products, in form of kerosene and LPG, are also used by some households as cooking fuel while industry takes up some coal for metallurgy. It is important to note that biomass, in form of cow-dung cakes and firewood, is the dominant source of energy for most rural households who accounts for more than two-third of Indian population. Indoor air pollution, resulting from burning biomass for energy, is the greatest environmental health risk in India. This needs to be tackled by making cleaner cooking fuels available to villagers. Owning a car is a dream for an average Indian. However, environment is already under a lot of stress from the vehicular emissions of those lucky few who have realized this dream and it ends up making a huge dent on India's balance of payments since India imports 80% of its crude oil requirement. I think a sustainable solution to the mobility needs of the country is in strengthening public transportation systems in burgeoning Indian cities along with prioritizing cycling and walkability in urban design. Reliable electricity supply is yet to be ensured in most of India and it is time to look beyond coal-powered thermal power plants as the means. About 23 percent of the total power generated in India is wasted during transmission and distribution. On top of that cost of displacement of people from coal mines, depletion of forest cover, contamination of water sources, carbon emissions from burning coal in thermal power plants etc. is becoming too large to ignore. Switching to renewable sources of energy, especially solar since India gets ample sunlight, as major source of power generation can be answer to economic and environmental woes.