PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Nainital
When the people living in the mountainous villages in Uttarakhand still face formidable challenges while trying to switch from the traditional biomass-based fuels to the cleaner ones like LPG, a quiet yet powerful intervention has been unfolding in the hills of Kumaon through Kumaon Vani, a 16- year- old community radio initiative that is redefining how energy transitions are understood and enacted at the grassroots.
Established in 2010 by The Energy and Resources Institute, Kumaon Vani operates not merely as a broadcasting platform but as a participatory communication ecosystem. Broadcasting at 90.4 MHz and reaching over 500 villages, it has become an indispensable bridge between policy frameworks and lived realities.
Those running the broadcast said that Kumaon Vani is particularly relevant in today’s energy crisis with its “twin-track strategy”: a model that simultaneously informs and empowers. On one hand, it disseminates critical information about energy access, fuel shortages, government schemes, and the long-term implications of continue reliance on biomass. On the other, it actively draws solutions from within the community, ensuring that interventions are grounded in local contexts rather than imposed from above.
“In the hills of Kumaon, this transformation is already underway not through grand announcements, but through everyday conversations carried over the airwaves. Kumaon Vani reminds us that sometimes, the most powerful solutions are not broadcast from the top but they are spoken, shared, and shaped within the community itself,” said a broadcaster.
In times of LPG shortages, for instance, Kumaon Vani does not merely relay government advisories; it initiates conversations and dialogues. This dialogic approach transforms passive listeners into active problem-solvers, the radio claimed and added that the strength of this model lies in trust. “Unlike top-down communication channels, Kumaon Vani is embedded within the community it serves. Its content is produced by local youth who understand the terrain both geographical and social. Programmes are shaped in village meetings, informed by women’s collectives, and validated through everyday interactions,” said another broadcaster.
Women have emerged as central actors in this transformation. Traditionally burdened with fuel collection and cooking, they bear the brunt of energy poverty. Through Kumaon Vani, their voices have moved from the margins to the centre. They discuss the health impacts of smoke, the drudgery of fuelwood collection and the benefits of cleaner alternatives. In doing so, they not only influence household decisions but also reshape community norms.
