International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
Sunita Kumari and Savita Singal

abstract
India, with its extensive agricultural base, generates substantial biomass from crop residues. Additionally, biomass is produced as a by-product in numerous agro-based industries. Biomass fuel remains a crucial energy source for many rural households in India, with women playing a central role in its collection, procurement, and storage. Despite its importance, the process of managing biomass fuel presents significant challenges that impact rural women’s daily lives and livelihoods. The collection of biomass fuel often involves strenuous physical labor, including gathering firewood, crop residues, or animal dung. This labor is typically performed by women and is often characterized by time-consuming and physically demanding activities. Based on this rationale, an exploratory research was carried out to study the Musculo Skelton problems, procurement problems and storage problems faced by respondents in using the biomass fuels. Research conducted in Hisar state on women who were using biomass as fuel. Data were collected by the personal interviewed method. Results show that ‘most severe’ discomforts faced by the respondents were in low back (4.8), upper back (4.1), mid back (4.0), knees (4.00), upper leg (3.8) and shoulder joint (3.5). It also found that injury and distance related problems were experienced by the respondents as ‘most severe’ with weighted mean scores of 3.45 and 3.22 respectively. It can be concluded that women faced women faced Musculo-skelton problems while collection and storing the fuel.