10000 Liters Water For One Liter Ethanol Indias Fuel Push To Worsen Water Crisis Here Is The Detail
It is known that the world is currently facing an oil crisis. Many countries are facing oil shortages due to the West Asian war. India is also in a similar situation. That is why, in order to meet the oil shortage in the future, the Center is planning to mix ethanol in the petrol used by Indian motorists. For this, the Center has decided to produce the required ethanol on a large scale. But, this is where the real problem lies. Because to produce ethanol on a large scale, even more water is needed.
According to experts, ten thousand liters of water are required to produce one liter of ethanol. Because sugarcane, sorghum, and rice are required to produce ethanol. These crops require a lot of water. The ethanol production capacity in India is 1,822 crore liters. To produce ethanol at this level, sorghum, rice, and sugarcane crops must also be produced at a high level. These crops require more irrigation water compared to other crops. That is, if the Center wants to produce ethanol in large quantities, it should encourage the cultivation of crops that are compatible with this. Experts say that this will further increase the shortage of irrigation water in the country.
States like Maharashtra and Delhi are already facing a severe water crisis. It is estimated that a total of 10,790 liters of water are required to cultivate rice and produce one liter of ethanol from it. The same is true for sorghum, which requires 4670 liters of water, and sugarcane, which requires 3630 liters of water. 3000 liters of water are required to produce one kilogram of rice. 470 liters of ethanol are produced from one ton of rice. A lot of water waste is also released from the ethanol manufacturing industry. These further harm the environment. Many areas in the country are already facing a severe water crisis.
In some places, even good water is facing problems. Experts say that if such crops are encouraged for ethanol production, the water crisis will increase further. In 2024-25, the Center has allocated 52 lakh tonnes of rice for ethanol and 90 lakh tonnes in 2025-26.
