Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday pointed to India’s growing push to convert waste into fuel, saying Nagpur is producing 28 tonnes of compressed natural gas (CNG) every day from waste, and around 4,000 similar projects are being taken up across the country.
Speaking at a programme after launching Madhya Pradesh’s new public bus service with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Gadkari said such projects (converting waste into fuel) would help farmers earn additional income while reducing imports and pollution
Gadkari also cited ethanol as an example of how alternative fuels can help raise farmers’ income and reduce India’s dependence on petroleum imports. He said maize prices had risen from around ₹1,200 per quintal to ₹2,600 per quintal after ethanol production began.
“Today, the farmer is not only our ‘anna data’ (food provider) but also our ‘urja data’ (energy provider),” Gadkari said and added, “This is the meaning of swadeshi, self-reliance and independence”
India imports petroleum worth around ₹22 lakh crore, according to Gadkari, who called for greater use of domestic and cleaner fuel sources to reduce this dependence.
The minister said flex-fuel engines, capable of running on 100 per cent ethanol, were being developed and vehicles using this technology would be introduced. The government was also promoting electric vehicles, while hydrogen-powered vehicles were under development.
“I travel in a hydrogen vehicle. Its name is Mirai, which means future,” he said.
Noting that hydrogen buses would be introduced on 10 routes, the minister said new bus service launched in Madhya Pradesh would provide safer, affordable and accountable transport facilities, particularly to poorer sections of society.
“Poor people should get facilities. They should get better facilities in AC buses and the ticket fare should be 30 per cent lower than that of diesel buses. This is our dream,” he said.
Gadkari said the government wanted to make public transport more popular in India and pointed out that the transport sector accounted for a substantial share of pollution.
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He said the government was working on several measures to improve bus safety and quality, including stricter testing requirements before registration.
Gadkari said buses would also be made more accessible for persons with disabilities and senior citizens, with designs enabling easier boarding.
He said the government was promoting the scrapping of old vehicles and increasing the number of vehicle scrapping and testing centres.
Gadkari said 32 driving centres had been started in Madhya Pradesh to address the shortage of trained drivers.
