A public interest litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court against the introduction of petrol blended with 20% ethanol, highlighting that no choice was given to the consumers to opt for ethanol-free fuel, according to Bar and Bench.
According to the petition by advocate Akshay Malhotra, while vehicles manufactured in India prior to April 2023 are incompatible with ethanol-mix petrol, vehicles that were manufactured as late as two years ago, though BS-VI compliant, are also not compatible with 20% ethanol blended.
Ethanol blending can trigger corrosion of engine parts, lead to lower fuel efficiency and may also result in early damaging of vehicles, the plea highlighted.
It added that insurance will not cover these damages and sought direction for labelling ethanol content on all petrol pumps and dispensing units, making it clearly visible to consumers.
"Direct the respondents to ensure that consumers are informed about ethanol compatibility of their vehicles at the time of fuel dispensing. Engines are suffering corrosion, fuel efficiency is dropping, and repair bills are mounting, while insurance companies are rejecting claims for damage caused by ethanol fuel," the plea said.
The PIL outlined how global practices differed sharply and said in the US and EU, ethanol-free petrol was still widely available, and pumps clearly displayed ethanol content for consumers to make an informed choice.
In India, however, only ethanol-blended fuel is sold, with no disclosure of composition at dispensing units, it added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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