India, June 8 -- In rural Uttar Pradesh, nearly 44 per cent of households use LPG and natural gas for cooking, National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). At the same time, the state records the highest use of dung cakes in the country, at 9.1 per cent.

Clean cooking fuel remains beyond the regular reach of many rural households. But unlike Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, people here rely more on dung cakes and biomass than firewood.

In Badaun district's Fakeerabad, most households have private liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections. However, these connections are used sparingly because refilling cylinders remains expensive. LPG refills cost between Rs 850 and Rs 1,100, with delivery charges adding another Rs 50 at the time of the visit...