Kerosene Available in Pune—But Where Are the Stoves? Growing Trend Towards Electric Cooktops

Pune: As kerosene has been unavailable for several years, stoves have disappeared from many households; furthermore, a visit to the markets on Wednesday (the 18th) revealed that the sale of stoves has ceased entirely. Consequently, Pune residents are left asking: “Thank you for providing the kerosene—but how are we supposed to use it?”

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Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal indicated in the Legislative Council that the kerosene supply chain would be streamlined to serve as a backup arrangement in the event of technical glitches in the gas supply. However, this decision by the government has elicited mixed reactions from the citizens of Pune.

Against this backdrop, when the daily newspaper *Pudhari* surveyed the markets in Pune, the aforementioned situation came to light. Several vendors in the city’s major markets stated that stoves are no longer available for sale. They explained that, since the supply of kerosene had previously been halted, shopkeepers had stopped stocking stoves and their spare parts. They further noted that shopkeepers are now focusing their efforts on selling electric cooktops.

“In the past, kerosene was easily accessible, so every household owned a stove. However, since kerosene is currently unavailable, stove sales have come to a standstill. At present, there simply aren’t enough stoves in the market to meet the needs of the entire population of Pune. Customers have now shifted their preference to electric cooktops. For a brief period—due to war-related circumstances—there was a shortage of electric cooktops; however, the supply chain has now normalized, and we are making every effort to ensure maximum availability of these cooktops for our customers.”
— Nitin Kakad, Vice President, Pune Traders Federation, and Electric Cooktop Vendor

“In the past, whenever a gas cylinder ran out, the stove used to be our primary lifeline.” However, for several years now, there has been no stove in our home, and one can no longer find artisans capable of repairing those old stoves. Even if the government were to make kerosene available, where would we procure a new stove to use it? Instead, the government should focus its attention on ensuring that the gas supply remains regular and uninterrupted.
— Surekha Shinde, Homemaker, Resident of Narhegaon

It would be difficult to suddenly revert to a “kerosene culture” at this stage. In today’s times, hardly anyone possesses a stove anymore. Given the smoke and fumes associated with kerosene, using it would prove to be an extremely troublesome experience for the current generation. Rather than contemplating the distribution of kerosene, it would be far more convenient if the government were to offer subsidies or incentives for solar energy solutions or electric cooktops instead.
— Amit Kad, Working Professional, Resident of Wagholi

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