Congress Questions Environmental Impact of Nationwide E20 Petrol Rollout

The Story in Brief

Congress criticised the Centre’s nationwide rollout of E20 petrol, saying its environmental justification ignored the fuel’s full ecological footprint. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said ethanol production relies mainly on sugarcane, rice and maize rather than agricultural residues. He cited high water use, including about 3,630 litres for one litre of sugarcane-based ethanol and up to 10,790 litres for rice-based ethanol. He also referred to falling groundwater levels and the NITI Aayog’s 2021 call for more sustainable feedstocks.

Congress alleged that rice supplied to distilleries was subsidised and that E20 reduced consumer choice, raised fuel bills and damaged vehicles. It said ethanol producers were the main beneficiaries and called for government data and reports to address these concerns.

The Indian Opinion

The concerns about water use, subsidies and vehicle performance merit transparent evidence from the government, industry and independent experts. Congress has made strong claims about E20’s motives and effects, but the source does not provide supporting studies or a government response. It would be premature to treat either the environmental benefits or alleged harms as fully established without lifecycle assessments and reliable cost data.

Source: www.deccanherald.com

This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.