Time allocation and fuel usage in three villages of the Garhwal Himalaya, India.

This study was a part of a larger project that focused on pollution caused by the combustion of biofuels. It examined the role of time allocation studies in assessing energy and environmental problems in three villages in Pauri District of Garhwal Himalaya. These problems relate to the extensive use of biomass and the consequent effects on human health. Baseline data were obtained to test the validity of commonly-held hypotheses relating to time allocation and fuel usage. Method of recall was used to study how people allocate time to various tasks in six important indoor and outdoor micro-environments. Comparisons between four population groups (men, women, youths, and children) showed that women spend more time in activities related to collection of fuelwood and fodder (4-6 hours) than other duties. Domestic activities account for 10-12 hours each day. Time spent in cooking, measured by stopwatch, was considerably less than that reported by women in a questionnaire. Fuel usage patterns were measured. The average per capita per meal fuel consumption was 0.30 kg; consumption was higher in the monsoon and winter seasons. Average cooking time and fuel consumption decreased with altitude.