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Gas shortages in India trigger shift to polluting fuels
India is grappling with severe cooking gas shortages after disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing a temporary return to coal, kerosene, and biomass, experts warn. The crisis stems from the US-Israel conflict with Iran, which has halted nearly a fifth of global oil and gas shipments through the critical waterway.
Strait of Hormuz blockade cripples India's energy imports
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for energy trade, handles roughly half of India's liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports and most of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shipments. Since the conflict erupted on 28 February, ship movements have stalled, leaving 21 Indian-flagged vessels stranded. Only three-two carrying LPG and one crude oil-have reached Gujarat since Monday, according to government sources.
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar acknowledged ongoing talks with Iran to ease the blockade but cautioned that supplies remain critically tight. India, the world's second-largest LPG importer after China, relies on imports for 60% of its domestic consumption.
Government scrambles to mitigate fuel shortages
In response, the federal government has approved an additional 48,000 kilolitres of kerosene for low-income households, distributing it through the public distribution system (PDS) and retail outlets. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri confirmed the measure last week, framing it as a stopgap to prevent widespread disruption.
The environment ministry has also granted temporary exemptions, allowing restaurants and hotels to switch to biomass, coal, or kerosene for one month. The directive prioritizes LPG for households and essential services, but experts warn the shift could reverse years of progress in reducing indoor air pollution.
Health risks rise as households revert to dirtier fuels
Nandikesh Sivalingam, director of the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, described the situation as a short-term setback. "Consumers will return to LPG once supplies stabilize," he said, but cautioned that burning kerosene, coal, or biomass releases harmful pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter-linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Vibha Dhawan, director general of the Energy and Resources Institute in Delhi, noted that urban households face greater exposure to shortages due to limited fallback options. While some may turn to electric cooking, she warned this could strain India's coal-dependent power grid, which generated 79% of the country's electricity in 2023-24.
Long-term solutions remain out of reach
Madhura Joshi of climate think tank E3G suggested rural households might adopt biogas, improved cookstoves, or subsidized kerosene, while urban areas could accelerate electric cooking. However, Dhawan emphasized that scalable alternatives-such as solar cookers or photovoltaic systems-require time and investment to deploy widely.
"Wider adoption of solar cooking could bolster energy resilience and support India's clean energy transition," Dhawan said. "But in the immediate term, coal remains the most accessible fallback."
Vibha Dhawan, Energy and Resources Institute
Historical progress at risk
Government data underscores the stakes: kerosene production plummeted from 7.5 million tonnes in 2014-15 to under 1 million tonnes in 2023-24, as LPG adoption surged. Reports from affected regions indicate a spike in firewood and cow dung cake sales, signaling a regression to traditional biomass fuels.
Experts agree the crisis underscores India's vulnerability to global supply chain disruptions, even as the country pursues ambitious renewable energy targets.
