First victory for people, but E20 questions remain, says Tehseen Poonawalla
Entrepreneur and TV personality Tehseen Poonawalla on Tuesday termed the Centre's reported rethink on E25 as the "first victory" for citizens protesting against the implementation
Entrepreneur and TV personality Tehseen Poonawalla on Tuesday termed the Centre's reported rethink on E25 as the "first victory" for citizens protesting against the implementation of the ethanol-blending programme. However, Poonawalla asserted that the battle was far from over, arguing that the government has not rolled back the nationwide E20 policy and continues to dodge questions over vehicle compatibility, consumer losses and the scientific basis for rapidly advancing the ethanol-blending programme. Read Full Story People have been alleging a drop in mileage and vehicle wear and tear because of E20 petrol. Poonawalla, under the banner of Team Bharat, organised the first offline protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Sunday (July 5). The Centre has junked the claims, and a group of experts defended the government's ethanol-blending programme on the eve of the Delhi protests. Auto enthusiast and rally driver Ratan Dhillon from Team Bharat during the Sunday protest told India Today Digital that there was evidence that could link the wear and tear in cars to E20 petrol. "Wear and tear is from ethanol — we will prove in the court — fuel filter and the entire pipeline gets choked. I was in Leh last week, and I had to leave the car there," Dhillon said, blaming ethanol-blended petrol for the vehicle's woes. Multiple reports on Tuesday suggested a probable rethink of the E25 policy. The Centre was examining a phased transition, rather than moving directly, to higher ethanol blends, sources told the India Today Group. Sources said the government was evaluating a phased roadmap under which E21 petrol could be introduced by 2027 and E25 by 2029. The Indian Express reported that the proposed shift to E25 was likely to be deferred.
"The government is likely to push back the proposed shift to a higher blend of ethanol fuel E25 comprising 75% petrol and 25% ethanol," the newspaper reported on Tuesday. Earlier in June, The Times of India had reported that the government was "likely to hold off" on higher ethanol blending until vehicle technology and supporting infrastructure were ready. Criticism of the E20 policy had already gained momentum by June. Calling Tuesday's development a result of public pressure, Poonawalla told India Today Digital, "This is the first victory for the people of India and Team Bharat. After our collective protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, the government has agreed not to roll out further or higher ethanol-blended petrol until the infrastructure is ready." "But the government has still not rolled back the E20 policy. Some questions remain as to why the government advanced the E20 policy when the infrastructure was not ready? Why are the government and automobile companies claiming E20 fuel is safe for E10-compatible vehicles if dedicated E20-compliant vehicles had to be manufactured? We still demand that the E20 document be made public and that the government announce a solution for pre-2023 vehicles, which account for more than 80% of India's vehicle fleet," Poonawalla added. GOVERNMENT GOING SLOW ON E25 ROADMAP? The Centre rolled out the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme to reduce India's dependence on imported crude oil, support sugarcane farmers, lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy security. Tuesday's developments suggest that the government, while remaining committed to the ethanol-blending programme, might be taking into account the concerns being voiced by the people. "The transition towards higher ethanol blending will happen in a calibrated and phased manner so that the automobile industry gets adequate time to prepare engines, supply chains and infrastructure accordingly," a source told Business Today of the India Today Group.
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