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Delhi is extremely urban, with nearly the entire population living in urban areas (around 97.5 per cent according to the 2011 Census). However, there are pockets in the metropolis where the rural way of life still lingers.
One facet of life in rural India is the use of cow dung cakes as fuel. Traditionally, this has been a cheap, affordable and readily accessible source for cooking and heating in the country’s villages. In highly urban Delhi, one sometimes comes across lower income households using cow dung cakes as fuel like these families in Ghazipur in eastern Delhi.
However, the use of cow dung cakes is controversial. When burnt, these cakes have been scientifically proven to release more amounts of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), volatile organic compounds and black carbon than wood. This puts people using them at high risk.