The Keralam civil supplies department has inspected petrol pumps in Kochi to verify the ethanol content and density of E20 petrol amid growing concerns over alleged excessive ethanol blending in fuel.District civil supplies Officer Shaji PR said officials had collected six one-litre petrol samples during the inspection, of which two were sent to an analytical chemical laboratory in Kakinada for testing. The department is awaiting the laboratory reports.“We conducted an inspection… We have inspected the details of the quantity of ethanol in the motor spirit, ordinary petrol. There were six samples at the rate of one litre taken. We sent two samples to an analytical chemical laboratory in Kakinada. We are waiting for the result,” Shaji PR told ANI.The inspections come amid concerns raised by Karnataka Minister Rizwan Arshad over the possible impact of higher ethanol-blended petrol on vehicles. On Friday, he warned that fuel containing more than 20 per cent ethanol could damage vehicle components that are not designed to withstand higher concentrations.Addressing a press conference on November 6, Arshad said the Karnataka government had collected 63 fuel samples from different locations across every district, covering all major oil companies.The issue has also drawn criticism from Leader of opposition in the Lok sabha Rahul Gandhi, who questioned the centre over allegations that petrol sold in Karnataka contained ethanol beyond the prescribed 20 per cent limit. He sought to know when action would be taken against oil companies allegedly supplying fuel with excessive ethanol content.In a post on X, Gandhi described the alleged irregularity as an ‘E20’ scam, writing: “E20 turns into ‘420’ (a scam) petrol theft from the public’s vehicles. The Modi government claims that petrol contains 20% ethanol. The Karnataka government collected petrol samples from 7 districts and had them tested at an accredited laboratory.”Karnataka’s department of food, civil supplies, consumer affairs and legal metrology has claimed that motor spirit sold at certain retail outlets in the state contained ethanol concentrations ranging from 26 per cent to 31 per cent.However, the union ministry of petroleum and natural gas has rejected allegations of excessive ethanol blending, stating that all 893 samples of E20 petrol collected from public sector oil marketing companies across 27 states and Union Territories met the prescribed quality standards.
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The three state-run oil marketing companies, Indian oil corporation limited, Bharat petroleum corporation limited and Hindustan petroleum corporation limited, have also maintained that ethanol blending is a regulated and automated process carried out in accordance with statutory guidelines, rather than through manual intervention.
