Women in these villages are required to leave their home post sunset for a host of reasons including sanitation, water collection, caring for their cattle, among many other chores. There is a great deal of concern due to the inadequate sense of security that exists in these regions. A mere kerosene lantern does not suffice in situations where one’s safety is in question.

Kerosene lanterns emit high levels of CO2 gases. The use of one kerosene lamp emits 5 tonnes of CO2 a year. This has a dire effect on the environment.

In a village of 100 households, if each household used a single kerosene lantern for a year, the village is emitting 500 tonnes of CO2 per annum from their lanterns alone.

Due to inadequate light, villagers end up inadvertently consuming a number of small insects and flies while having their meals which result in them suffering from a number of illnesses. There have also been cases of villagers being bitten by snakes due to lack of light as they walk outdoors for various purposes.

Kerosene lamps, used by villagers for the purpose of light emit high levels of carbon dioxide causing indoor air pollution higher than WHO guidelines. The inhalation of these toxic gases is detrimental to the health of the rural population.

Lack of light results in the loss of productive working hours as the villagers are forced to stop work and return home at dusk. Shopkeepers find it difficult to cater to customer requirements after sunset due to lack of adequate lighting in the shop. Farmers are unable to prevent wild boars and stray cattle from encroaching fields during the night due the inability to survey these fields in the dark. This is results in a loss of agricultural productivity, in turn hampering their income.

A child’s after school work is not seen as a priority when light is needed to feed the family. The lack of electricity and light and the high costs of kerosene enable most households to afford only one lamp. This lamp is used for cooking and other household chores. As a result students are unable to study post sunset, which in turn impacts academic results and leads students dropping out of school.