Energy

Of Hormuz and Hamirpur

How the Hormuz crisis reached the hinterlands of Hamirpur in Bundelkhand
Of Hormuz and Hamirpur
The crisis at the Strait of Hormuz led to energy scarcity for large parts of the globe, including India. Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE
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Iran’s sealing off the Strait of Hormuz led to energy problems across the globe.

The subsequent scarcity of fuel, especially natural gas, led to many locations in India reverting back to traditional, more polluting fuels.

Of Hormuz and Hamirpur
Even the hinterlands of the country were not untouched. In the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, a charcoal maker saw renewed interest, as cooking gas got expensive.Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

One such location is near Kiswahi village in the Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region. Here, fresh babul (acacia) wood is being carbonised to produce charcoal.

The operator of the charcoal kilns said he has three kilns. About 148 kilograms of wood is loaded into each kiln at a time.

Of Hormuz and Hamirpur
In these photos, the process of charcoal formation can be seen at a village in Hamirpur district. Proof enough that nobody is left untouched in an inter-connected world.Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

The wood is then sealed with mud and allowed to smolder inside the kiln for three days. This process produces around 30 to 35 kilograms of charcoal from each kiln.

Cooking gas
Uttar Pradesh
Wood
Bundelkhand
Charcoal
Hamirpur
Strait of Hormuz
Iran-Israel War 2026
hormuz
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