New Delhi, July 10: India’s ethanol blending programme did not begin under the present government, and the initiative has a long institutional history and milestones, the Petroleum Ministry said on Friday, adding that the transition from E10 to E20 ethanol blending was not based on assumptions, but on years of testing, manufacturer consultations and field experience.

“A pilot ethanol blending programme was launched in 2001, formally announced in 2004, and E5 (5 per cent ethanol blending) was rolled out across several states by 2006. The policy framework was subsequently notified in the Gazette of India in January 2013 during the UPA government. These are matters of public record,” said the ministry in a detailed statement.

India had set a target of achieving 5 per cent ethanol blending across 10 states and union territories. Unfortunately, despite that ambition, blending remained stuck at around 1.5 per cent until 2014, it informed.

“Nobody questioned ethanol as a fuel. That had already been settled globally. The real challenge was how India could produce sufficient quantities of ethanol,” said the Petroleum Ministry.

At that time, India depended almost entirely on sugarcane, a seasonal crop, with an annual ethanol production capacity of roughly 400 crore litres. Such production levels were inadequate even for modest blending targets.

Recognising this constraint, the government fundamentally changed its approach. With the launch of the National Policy on Biofuels in May 2018, the government began creating the ecosystem necessary to produce ethanol at scale. This became a genuine whole-of-government mission.

“The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Department of Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Indian Railways and several other ministries worked in close coordination to expand feedstocks, build infrastructure, support technology, align logistics, create demand certainty and encourage investment,” said the official statement.

It further explained that a landmark step came in August 2021, when India’s Oil Marketing Companies — IOCL, BPCL and HPCL — issued expressions of interest for establishing Dedicated Ethanol Plants (DEPs) in ethanol-deficit regions.

These projects transformed the investment landscape because they offered assured long-term purchase agreements by Oil Marketing Companies; tripartite financing arrangements with public sector banks through escrow mechanisms, substantially reducing investment risk; mandatory supply of ethanol exclusively for the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme; and these plants naturally required nearly two years to come on stream.

Another important milestone came in June 2021 when NITI Aayog published its comprehensive roadmap about ethanol blending after extensive consultation with automobile manufacturers, oil companies, agricultural experts and other stakeholders.

The report highlighted not only the environmental and energy security benefits of ethanol but also the transformational impact on rural incomes and the agricultural economy.

At that stage, India’s requirement for 10 per cent blending was 500-600 crore litres of ethanol annually. As fresh investments materialised and production capacity expanded, it became evident that the country would soon be capable of producing nearly 1,200 crore litres.

Once the supply side had been secured, it became both logical and responsible to aspire for 20 per cent blending. So, the suggestion that India ‘rushed’ into ethanol blending is simply not borne out by facts, said the ministry.

This has been a journey spanning over two decades from pilot projects in 2001, policy notification in 2013, institutional reforms after 2018, massive investments beginning in 2021, and then a carefully calibrated, phased increase in blending levels.

All stakeholders, including automobile manufacturing companies, testing agencies, OMCs, DFPD, etc., were consulted before rollout, according to the statement.

Before E20 was rolled out, the government undertook several rounds of detailed consultations with all stakeholders, such as automobile manufacturers, technical experts, testing agencies and others to ensure readiness across the ecosystem.

Maruti Suzuki serviced 2.84 crore vehicles during FY 2025-26, including 1.5 crore older, non-E20-certified vehicles, and reported no E20-linked corrosion, abnormal wear or component-life damage.

Hero MotoCorp has reported similar field experience. This real-world evidence is far more reliable than isolated anecdotes.

Advising consumers not to be misled by misinformation, scaremongering or unverified content circulating on social media, the ministry said that ethanol and blended petrol conform to strict BIS specifications and undergo quality checks at every stage from the distillery to the depot to the retail outlet.

“Any procedural lapse anywhere in the supply chain should be dealt with firmly. Chief Secretaries of the states have been requested to ensure strict enforcement and take an iron hand against any instance of adulteration. There can be zero tolerance for lapses that compromise fuel quality,” the ministry said.

Kochi/Kalpetta, July 10: With the death toll in the Wayanad tunnel road landslide climbing to seven after one more body was recovered on Friday, the Kerala High Court directed the state government to immediately disburse ex gratia compensation to the victims’ families, provide free treatment to the injured and ensure that the bodies of those killed are handed over to their relatives without delay.

One person remains missing, with rescue teams continuing an intensive search at the accident site near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi, where work on the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel road project, connecting Wayanad and Kozhikode districts, was underway when the massive mudslide struck on July 7.

Hearing the matter on Friday, a Division Bench comprising Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice A.K.Preeta made it clear that relief measures should take precedence over questions of liability.

On being informed that the bodies of the deceased were being embalmed after post-mortem examinations for transportation to their native places, the Bench orally observed that there should be no delay in handing over the bodies to their families so that the last rites could be performed without unnecessary hardship.

The court also directed that all expenses relating to the treatment and hospitalisation of the injured, including the needs of bystanders attending them, should be borne by the state government for the present.

“Ensure that treatment happens without insisting on any payment till discharge from hospital,” the Bench said, adding that the expenditure could initially be treated as a charge on the project, while the issue of recovering the amount from those ultimately found responsible would be decided later.

The Bench further directed that ex gratia compensation announced by the government for the families of those killed and injured should be disbursed immediately, and sought a fresh status report from the state by next week.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) informed the court that rescue operations were continuing with excavators and other heavy machinery, although unstable terrain and slushy conditions had necessitated extensive manual search operations in the final stages.

The court was also told that construction activity at the project site had been ordered to stop in May.

The High Court said it would continue to monitor the matter on a weekly basis, with particular emphasis on the prompt payment of compensation and rehabilitation measures.

The directions came as part of the court’s continuing suo motu proceedings initiated after the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides.

The Bench has now expanded its scrutiny to include the latest tunnel project tragedy, signalling close judicial oversight of both the rescue efforts and the circumstances that led to the disaster.

Even as rescue operations entered another day, the tragedy continued to generate political and administrative scrutiny, with the state government having already announced a high-level expert probe into all aspects of the project and the Kerala High Court now closely monitoring every stage of relief, rehabilitation and the investigation into the disaster.

Guwahati, July 10: Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Friday commended a police team in the Sribhumi district for seizing 30,000 Yaba tablets valued at around Rs 3 crore and arresting three persons in connection with the narcotics haul, reiterating the state government’s commitment to its anti-drug campaign.

Taking to X, the Chief Minister praised the police action with a sharp message underscoring the government’s crackdown on drug trafficking.

“Every shipment has a destination, this one was the police station. Kudos to @sribhumipolice for seizing 30,000 Yaba tablets worth approx ₹3 cr and apprehending three accused,” Sarma posted.

The Chief Minister also used the hashtag #AssamAgainstDrugs, a campaign that has become synonymous with the state’s sustained drive against narcotics.

According to officials, the consignment of Yaba tablets was intercepted during a police operation in Sribhumi district.

Three persons allegedly involved in the smuggling racket were taken into custody, while the contraband, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 3 crore in the illicit market, was seized.

Police have launched further investigations to ascertain the source of the consignment and identify the broader network involved in trafficking the synthetic drug.

The Barak valley region in Southern Assam has often been used as a territory for the movement of narcotics items as the locality is surrounded by interstate borders with Manipur and Mizoram.

It has been considered that a large cache of drugs are transported from the neighbouring states using the Barak valley as a corridor.

Yaba, commonly referred to as the “crazy drug”, is a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine and is widely trafficked across international borders.

Assam, owing to its strategic location in the Northeast, has witnessed repeated attempts by drug smugglers to use the state as a transit route for narcotics.

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government has intensified its war against drugs since assuming office in 2021, with law enforcement agencies conducting regular raids, destroying seized narcotics and dismantling inter-state and cross-border trafficking networks.

Senior police officials have maintained that anti-narcotics operations will continue across vulnerable districts to curb the menace of drug trafficking and prevent the circulation of psychotropic substances in the state.

The latest seizure adds to a series of major narcotics busts reported from Assam in recent months as security agencies continue to tighten surveillance along key trafficking corridors.