Ethanol fuel use may affect land, environment

Experts have voiced concerns over the impact of ethanol-blended fuel on land use, agriculture patterns, food security, groundwater levels and household incomes. The government should consider reducing ethanol-blended fuel prices to offset the increased costs and wear and tear on vehicle components for consumers. D Raghunandan, a scientist and activist, explained that ethanol-blended fuel has shifted India's agriculture sector from a food-oriented to a fuel-oriented industry.

The country used to export maize but now imports it to meet the demand for ethanol production. This shift has disrupted agricultural patterns and led to the country needing to replace a large area under rice cultivation with maize, as rice consumes more water and emits high levels of greenhouse gas methane. Former secretary Ramesh Chand suggested that the government pushed for ethanol-blended fuel to handle surplus rice and sugar production, as these crops are bought at a higher minimum support price than the international market price.

While comparing ethanol-blended fuel to Brazil's usage, Siraj Hussain noted that Brazil is slower to adopt this type of fuel, despite producing a large surplus of sugar. However, Hussain also pointed out that climate change could reduce India's production by 25%, making direct comparisons with Brazil less accurate. Raghunandan recommended returning to E10 fuel, which contains up to 10% ethanol, and discarding E20 fuel.

The only losers in this scenario would be the 400 distillers capable of producing ethanol, with the government compensating them. Currently, consumers and the environment are facing costs, while farmers are not seeing benefits.