67L people in India still lack access to electricity: UN report

India has made significant strides in providing access to electricity with 45 crore people getting light in the last 20 years but 64 lakh are still in darkness while biomass continues to be a major source of cooking fuel, hindering the transition to sustainable development, a report by Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) of the United Nations showed.

The report looked into the sustainable energy progress in Asia Pacific and described China, India and Vietnam in the sector as “prime examples” for boosting renewable electricity generation.

Of the 5.3 crore people who still lack access to electricity, 64 lakh are in India while Myanmar tops the list with 1.47 crore, followed by Pakistan (1.2 crore) and Papua New Guinea (79 lakh).

The report further noted that mere provision of electrical connection was not enough. Even if a household is considered electrified, the quality and affordability of the energy service may fall short of levels needed to meet social and economic development needs, it said, noting that the benefits of access to electricity arise through the amenities that it supports.

It noted that the communities still lacking access to electricity in the Asia-Pacific region were among the poorest and hardest to reach areas that are logistically or economically difficult to connect to the region’s main
grids.

With regard to cooking fuel, the report said traditional biomass remains the primary cooking fuel in many countries in the region. While access to clean cooking fuel was improving, recent data revealed “a concerning annual decline in the number of people who have gained access to clean cooking solutions, such as LPG, biogas and electric cooking,” the report said.

As per the data from the year 2019, about 40% of Indian households relied on biomass. The situation was worse in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan besides several countries in Southeast Asia and island nations.

In the renewable energy sector, south and South west Asia saw the highest progress between 2010 and 2021 while the increase in solar energy generation in India ensured Southeast Asia recorded moderate growth. There was hardly any improvement in north and Central Asia while the Pacific region saw considerable investments in the solar energy sector.