New Delhi: In a comprehensive written response to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, the Union government firmly dispelled concerns that India's ambitious 20 per cent ethanol blending target is threatening national food security or depleting water resources, noting that the initiative operates on a strict "waste-to-wealth" architecture.
Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi clarified that the Public Distribution System (PDS), National Food Security Act (NFSA), and mandated national buffer stocks receive absolute priority under the government's open-ended procurement system. Only after these vital food security parameters are satisfied is surplus agricultural produce cleared for ethanol production.
Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said, "The target of 20% ethanol blending has not affected food crop availability or India's food security." He added that the government follows "an open-ended procurement system at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), under which procurement for the Public Distribution System (PDS), National Food Security Act (NFSA), Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) and prescribed buffer stocks is accorded the highest priority."
Addressing the critical question of water scarcity, the minister detailed a massive structural shift in the feedstocks utilised by distilleries. The government has aggressively scaled up the usage of maize--a significantly less water-intensive crop compared to traditional options like sugarcane--increasing its share in the ethanol blending basket from zero per cent in 2021-22 to roughly 37 per cent in the 2025-26 Ethanol Supply Year (ESY). The minister said only surplus foodgrains are permitted for ethanol production after meeting food security requirements. It added that the programme follows a "'waste-to-wealth' approach" by utilising surplus agricultural produce, including damaged foodgrains, broken rice and foodgrains unfit for human consumption, while also promoting second-generation (2G) ethanol from agricultural residues. (ANI)
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