Need to focus on other products from sugarcane including ethanol, exhorts PM Modi on World Environment Day

KEY STORY

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the World Environment Day event via video conferencing. The Prime Minister also interacted with the farmers from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh on ethanol and biogas use.

• PM Modi exhorted farmers to indulge in organic farming to maintain soil fertility. The PM also said that farmers should focus on diverse farming to save “mother earth”.

• The Prime Minister also asked farmers to use solar energy while using agricultural tools. He said the country’s agriculture sector is benefitting from a massive campaign for clean energy.

• PM also released “Report of the Expert Committee on Road Map for ethanol blending in India 2020-2025.”

• Prime Minister Modi also launched three E-100 ethanol dispensing stations in Pune under a pilot project. The centre will also release an E-20 notification that will allow oil marketing companies to sell 20 per cent ethanol blended petrol from April 2023.

• PM Modi said, “Till 2014, we used to blending just 1 per cent ethanol but now it has been increased to 8.5 per cent. The oil marketing companies have bought Rs 21,000 cr ethanol and most of this money has gone to our farmers. You can imagine the amount of money to farmers when ethanol blending is increased to 20 per cent.

• The PM also said the government is focusing on the ethanol-making infrastructure across the country. He said the government is making efforts to make ethanol from agricultural waste. He said the nation has become a leading light in environmental justice.

CONCLUSION

• According to the government, such efforts will help in setting up more ethanol distillation plants and increase the consumption of ethanol in the ethanol producing states and the adjoining regions before 2025.

• Prime Minister addressed the environment day event jointly organised by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change via video conferencing.