Thoothukudi, July 11: In a major anti-smuggling operation, the Tamil Nadu Q Branch police seized beedi leaves worth an estimated Rs 17 lakh that were allegedly being smuggled to Sri Lanka from the Thoothukudi coast in the early hours on Saturday.

The consignment was recovered from a forested stretch near Inigo Nagar Beach, while the suspected smugglers managed to flee after spotting the police.

The operation was launched following a specific intelligence input received by Q Branch Inspector Vijaya Anitha, who was informed that a large quantity of beedi leaves was being stockpiled in the Inigo Nagar coastal area for clandestine transportation to Sri Lanka by boat.

Acting on the tip-off, a special police team led by Sub-Inspector Ramachandran, along with Special Sub-Inspector Ramar, Inspectors Irudayaraj Kumar and Isakkimuthu, and First Grade Constables Palani, Balamurugan and Pechiraj, conducted a late-night patrol in the South Police Station limits of Thoothukudi City Sub-Division.

During the search operation, the team reached a forested area south of Inigo Nagar Beach, where they discovered a cache of beedi leaves concealed and kept ready for loading onto a boat bound for Sri Lanka. Police recovered 18 bundles of beedi leaves, each weighing approximately 30 kg, indicating that the consignment had been carefully packed for sea transport.

However, the suspected smugglers, who were reportedly present in the vicinity, escaped into the darkness after noticing the approaching police personnel. In addition to the contraband, the police also seized a cargo vehicle believed to have been used for transporting the beedi leaves to the coastal loading point.

Officials said the seized consignment has an estimated international market value of around Rs 17 lakh. The recovered beedi leaves and the cargo vehicle are being handed over to the Customs Department for further investigation and legal proceedings.

Police have launched an investigation to identify and apprehend those involved in the smuggling network.

Investigators are examining the ownership of the seized vehicle and gathering intelligence to trace the larger syndicate suspected of operating along the Thoothukudi coast.

The seizure is part of the intensified surveillance being carried out by the Q Branch and other enforcement agencies to curb cross-border smuggling activities between the Tamil Nadu coast and Sri Lanka.

Authorities said further investigations are under way to determine the intended recipients of the consignment and whether the operation is linked to an organised smuggling network operating in the region.

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.