While individual maps are helpful in understanding the spatial distribution of a given source of energy, these do not help us assimilate the overall picture at a glance. This can be done quietly elegantly by arranging the data in a table and colour code the cell to depict the high, medium and low values.
Table -1 shows such an arrangement using state-wise data for different sources of lighting. The table is quite revealing. It clearly shows that between themselves electricity and kerosene covers almost all the households barring small percentage of households covered by solar and ‘any other’.
Use of kerosene in urban areas for lighting needs to be viewed seriously and brought down speedily.
The position of Bihar is quite eye opener. Both rural and urban Bihar are doing quite badly both in electricity consumption and kerosene consumption. Rural UP also fares very badly though urban UP seems to have fared better than Bihar.
Table – 2 provides similar information in respect of sources of fuel. Here the variables are many more. Readers are expected to draw their own conclusion. The figure of kerosene consumption is urban Chandigarh is very intriguing. We also need to note similar situation in urban Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Low LPG penetration in eastern states is also a matter of concern. Colour coding for the total (Rural + Urban) category has not been done. Reader is left to do this as a useful exercise.
We will next move to a state by state analysis with block / tehsil level data. Readers are requested to give a feedback on the colour coding methodology for a tabular data.