Is Pollution Income Relationship Non-Monotonic? : Evidence Based on Indoor Air Pollution in India

In the context of health risk caused by the use of bio-fuels for cooking in developing countries, existence of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for indoor air pollution is a policy relevant empirical issue that deserves attention. The results based on Indian household level data for the period 1983-2000, show non-monotonic relationship between pollution and income in rural areas and during 1980s in urban India, validating EKC hypothesis. The spatial and temporal representation of EKC presented highlight stark difference between rural and urban households providing insights on policy responses to enable faster transition of rural households towards 'cleaner' fuels