Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the second generation (2G) Ethanol Plant in Panipat and said it will help reduce pollution in Delhi, National Capital Region (NCR) and Haryana.
Addressing the event via video conferencing on World Biofuel Day, the Prime Minister said stubble (agriculture waste) was a burden for the farmers and would now become a means of additional income for them with the help of 2G ethanol plant.
"The bio-fuel plant of Panipat will be able to dispose of the stubble without burning. Mother Earth will be relieved of the pain she endured due to stubble burning. The stubble was a burden for the farmers, a cause of trouble, it would become a means of additional income for them," he said.
The Prime Minister said the country had reached 1.4 per cent ethanol blending till 2014 and it increased to 10. 16 per cent in the last eight years.
He said the event is important for farmers of Panipat, Haryana and the entire country. "The plant that has been set up in Panipat is a beginning. It will help reduce pollution in Delhi, NCR and Haryana," he said.
PM Modi lauded sportspersons from Haryana for their performance in the Commonwealth Games. "The sons and daughters of Haryana have made the country proud by performing very well in the Commonwealth Games. Haryana has given many medals to the country," he said.
"The energy that has been displayed by the players of Haryana in the sports arena, now the farms of Haryana will also create energy," he added.
The dedication of the plant is part of a long series of steps taken by the government over the years to boost the production and usage of biofuels in the country.
It is in line with the Prime Minister's constant endeavour to transform the energy sector into being more affordable, accessible, efficient and sustainable.
The 2G Ethanol Plant has been built at an estimated cost of over Rs 900 crore by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and is located close to the Panipat Refinery.
Based on state-of-the-art indigenous technology, the project will turn a new chapter in India's waste-to-wealth endeavours by utilising about 2 lakh tonnes of rice straw (parali) annually to generate around 3 crore litres of Ethanol annually.
Creating an end-use for the agri-crop residue would empower farmers and provide an additional income generation opportunity for them. The Project will provide direct employment to people involved in the plant operation and indirect employment will be generated in the supply chain for rice straw cutting, handling and storage.
The project will have zero liquid discharge. Through the reduction in the burning of rice straw (parali), the project will contribute to a reduction of Greenhouse Gases equivalent to about 3 lakh tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions per annum, which can be understood as equivalent to replacing nearly 63,000 cars annually on the country's roads.
( With inputs from ANI )
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