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Allegations of over 30% ethanol blending in petrol
In Short
Minister Rizwan Arshad questions Centre’s silence
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Rizwan Arshad
Bengaluru: Minister Rizwan Arshad has questioned the Union government’s silence over allegations that petrol contains more than 30 per cent ethanol, alleging that oil marketing companies have failed to provide a direct response to the state government’s findings.
Addressing a press conference at Vikas Soudha, Arshad said the state government had conducted tests through the Department of Legal Metrology last Friday to determine the ethanol content in petrol. The issue has since triggered a nationwide debate, with concerns being raised over the impact of excessive ethanol blending on vehicles and everyday petrol consumers. “The Centre should have responded to the information provided by the state government. Instead, it has obtained responses from oil marketing companies,” Arshad said.
He maintained that the Karnataka government’s report was accurate and said the oil companies had provided technical explanations rather than directly answering the key question about the actual percentage of ethanol blended in petrol. According to the minister, the issue has attracted widespread attention on social media, with people across the country expressing concerns over the alleged excessive blending.
Arshad alleged that higher levels of chloride and sulphur in ethanol could damage vehicle engines. He also referred to BMW’s reported concerns about the potential problems associated with petrol containing 30 per cent ethanol.The minister said oil marketing companies questioned the validity of the samples collected by the Karnataka government.
However, he insisted that the samples were genuine and the findings were reliable. “Is determining the ethanol percentage in petrol rocket science? The same people are acting as both the accused and the judges,” Arshad alleged, questioning the manner in which the oil companies had responded to the state’s findings. He further accused the companies of avoiding a straightforward answer on the actual ethanol content in petrol.
Meanwhile, following the detection of 31.2 per cent ethanol in a petrol sample in Karnataka, authorities in Kerala have initiated a similar exercise to examine the ethanol content in fuel.
Petrol samples have been collected from five fuel stations each in four districts Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur. The samples have been sent to government laboratories for testing, with the results expected within 10 days. Authorities have warned that if ethanol levels exceeding 20 per cent are detected, the concerned petrol pumps could be sealed and action initiated. The developments have brought renewed attention to fuel quality standards and the implementation of ethanol blending in petrol across different states.
