Stop kerosene subsidy, promote solar lamps: RK Pachauri

Advocating the use of renewable energy in day-to-day life, eminent environmentalist R.K. Pachauri Tuesday urged the government to cut the subsidy on kerosene and instead subsidise solar lanterns.

"There is a huge subsidy on kerosene. But the same kerosene is used in adulterating petrol. The kerosene lamps have a very bad effect on health whether it is children, or adults," Pachauri, the head of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said Tuesday.

"Government should remove the subsidy on kerosene and perhaps give subsidy on solar lanterns instead," he said, at the 13th Leadership Summit for Sustainable Development organised by The Energy Research Institute (TERI) and Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Pachauri said he had discussed the idea with the previous Congress-led government, and will take up with the BJP-led government soon.

Pachauri also said that solar energy has a great scope in the urban area and Delhi government is in the process of finalising a programme to encourage roof-top solar panels in the capital.