Facing criticism over ethanol blending in petrol, Nitin Gadkari reveals his next big plan – ‘Flying buses’

Facing criticism over ethanol blending in petrol, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday revealed his next big plan aimed at reducing traffic congestion in the national capital.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, Gadkari said that he is soon going to introduce “flying buses” in India.

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“Soon, I am going to introduce flying buses. I have already brought seaplanes that can land on water. I even landed one in the sea myself,” he said.

The Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India said that his ministry will develop a Mass Rapid Transport System powered by electricity.

“It will enable people to travel from one corner to another so quickly that they won’t even realize how fast they have reached,” Gadkari added.

Despite nationwide public outrage over ethanol blending, Gadkari has defended the decision, saying that the “negative campaign” against him is sponsored by a lobby which benefits from fossil fuel imports.

“We need to understand why we are promoting ethanol and alternative fuels. India imports fossil fuels worth around Rs 22 lakh crore every year. This money goes out of the country, while fossil fuels also contribute significantly to pollution,” the minister said.

While ethanol may be a cleaner fuel, the process of producing it may have environmental consequences. Some critics argue that ethanol blending can worsen India’s water crisis.

According to a report, producing one litre of ethanol from rice requires around 10,790 litres of water, including the water used for irrigation.

However, Gadkari has countered that several developed countries, including the United States, have been using ethanol-blended petrol for decades.

“Ethanol is not an experiment only limited to India. Ethanol blending is not new. Countries such as Brazil, the United States (US), Thailand, and European countries have been using ethanol for decades,” he added.