Ethanol can help raise farmers' income and reduce fuel imports: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said the use of ethanol could help raise farmers’ income and reduce India’s dependence on petroleum imports, as he called for wider adoption of alternative fuels and cleaner public transport.

He was addressing a programme here after launching Madhya Pradesh’s new public bus service with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. “Today, the farmer is not only our ‘anna data’ (food provider) but also our ‘urja data’ (energy provider),” Gadkari said.

Ethanol production has already benefited farmers, the Road Transport and Highways Minister said, citing the increase in maize prices from around ₹1,200 per quintal to ₹2,600 per quintal after ethanol production began. “This is the meaning of swadeshi, self-reliance and independence,” he said.

The minister said flex-fuel engines, capable of running on 100 per cent ethanol, were being developed and vehicles using this technology would be introduced. India imports petroleum worth around ₹22 lakh crore, he said, and stressed the need to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel by using ethanol, electricity, hydrogen and other alternative energy sources.

The government was also promoting electric vehicles. Electric tractors had been introduced and hydrogen-powered vehicles were being developed, according to Gadkari. “I travel in a hydrogen vehicle. Its name is Mirai, which means future,” he said, adding that hydrogen buses would be introduced on 10 routes.

Using clean fuels would help reduce pollution and fuel imports without compromising on safety, he said. Speaking about public transport, Gadkari said the new bus service launched in Madhya Pradesh would provide safer, affordable and accountable transport facilities, particularly to poorer sections of society.

“Poor people should get facilities. They should get better facilities in AC buses and the ticket fare should be 30 per cent lower than that of diesel buses. This is our dream,” he said. Gadkari said the government wanted to make public transport more popular in India and pointed out that the transport sector accounted for a substantial share of pollution.

He said the government was working on several measures to improve bus safety and quality, including stricter testing requirements before registration. Gadkari said buses would also be made more accessible for persons with disabilities and senior citizens, with designs enabling easier boarding.

He said the government was promoting the scrapping of old vehicles and increasing the number of vehicle scrapping and testing centres. Gadkari said 32 driving centres had been started in Madhya Pradesh to address the shortage of trained drivers.

The minister also highlighted the potential of converting waste into fuel, saying Nagpur was producing 28 tonnes of CNG daily from waste and that around 4,000 such projects were being taken up across the country.