Union Minister urges States to promote use of ethanol

Updated - February 22, 2024 09:05 pm IST - Belagavi

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari speaking in Belagavi on Thursday.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari speaking in Belagavi on Thursday. | Photo Credit: PTI

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, has urged State governments to promote the production and use of ethanol as an alternative fuel source as it would not only help save the environment, but also support farmers.

At a rally where he launched several roadworks, the Union Minister said India would not only use ethanol for its vehicles, but also become a global export powerhouse of ethanol. “In the near future, we will see vehicles that are run by ethanol and methanol on our roads. It will help reduce environment pollution and increase the economic well being of farmers,” he said.

“There are many opportunities for ethanol production and consumption in sugarcane producing areas like Bealgavi. Farmers should not see themselves only as suppliers of raw material to sugar industries, but also as energy producers as these factories will be able to produce ethanol and earn profits,” Mr. Gadkari said.

“On the one hand, area under sugarcane crop has increased in Belagavi and other districts. On the other, the ethanol economy has grown exponentially. We should make use of this opportunity,” he said. He said that the Union government was planning to permit a higher number of ethanol based fuel pumps to come up on roads and highways.

Mr. Gadkari described highways as the pathways for the country’s development. “Development of green corridor highways across the country is the priority of the central government. Highway works between the major cities of the country are being taken up. This will reduce travel time and ensure and smooth and safe travel,” he said.

He said that his ambition was to connect the highway network from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and see that the overall travel time will be reduced and an enabling environment will be provided for development.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.