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The target of 20 per cent ethanol blending has not affected food crop availability or India’s food security, Suresh Gopi, Minister of State in the Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas told the Rajya Sabha on July 20, 2026.
The government follows an open-ended procurement system at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), under which procurement for the Public Distribution System (PDS), National Food Security Act (NFSA), Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) and prescribed buffer stocks is accorded the highest priority. Only surplus foodgrains, as determined by the Department of Food & Public Distribution after meeting all food security requirements and maintaining prescribed buffer stocks, are permitted for ethanol production, said Gopi.
The Centre has not received any widespread or substantiated complaints regarding vehicle performance attributable to the use of E20 petrol, said Gopi.
It has, however, taken note of certain media reports and social media posts relating to E20 fuel, he added. These concerns have been scientifically examined. Extensive laboratory studies, field validation and real-world operating experience over several years have not established any widespread adverse impact on vehicle performance attributable to E20 fuel.
E15+ blended petrol has been in widespread use across India for over three-and-a-half years and E19-E20 fuel for over two-and-a-half years, with over 20 crore (200 million) two-wheelers and over 3 crore (30 million) petrol cars operating on these blends without any verified evidence of widespread engine failure attributable to E20 fuel, the minister noted.
The Union government has introduced a range of regulatory and management measures to curb pollution, rejuvenate rivers, and strengthen environmental governance in India’s hilly states, Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State in the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) told the Lok Sabha
As part of these efforts, the MoEFCC notified the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, which provide a comprehensive framework for the environmentally sound management of solid waste across the country, including hill regions. The rules contain specific provisions for waste management in hilly and island areas, clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of local authorities. In addition, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued an advisory on solid waste management in hilly areas, which was circulated on June 22, 2026, to the Member Secretaries of all State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs), as well as the Principal Secretaries of the Urban Development and Rural Development Departments of all States and Union Territories.
During the last decade i.e. from April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2026, an area of 1,88,487.93 ha of forest land has been diverted under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, including industrial projects, said Singh.
As compared to the India State of Forest Report 2021, the total forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445.81 sq km, Singh told the Lok Sabha.
The number of polluted river stretches in India has decreased from 351 in 2018 to 311 in 2022 and 296 in 2025 according to the latest report of the CPCB. This is based on monitoring results in terms of Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), an indicator of organic pollution, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Minister of State for Jal Shakti (water resources) told the Rajya Sabha.
Under Namami Gange Programme and National River Conservation Plan, an amount of Rs 11,332 crore and Rs 1,888 crore respectively have been incurred in pollution abatement of rivers in addition to schemes of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and state governments jointly assess India’s dynamic groundwater resources annually.
According to the Ground Water Resources assessment 2025, of the total 6,762 Assessment Units (Blocks/Taluks/Mandals) in the country, 730 (10.80 per cent) units have been categorised as ‘Over-exploited’. This indicates groundwater extraction exceeding the annually replenishable recharge.
Further, 201 units (2.97 per cent) have been categorised as ‘Critical’, 758 units (11.21 per cent) as ‘Semi-critical’ and 4,946 units (73.14 per cent) are in ‘Safe’ category. Additionally, 127 assessment units (1.88 per cent) are categorised as ‘saline’, Choudhary said.
The Union Ministry of Power (MoP), through the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in 2026 has carried out an Evaluation Study for Assessment of Biomass Availability and Related Aspects in India, through Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad.
According to the study, it is estimated that gross agricultural biomass in India is around 903 Million Metric Tonne (MMT). The surplus biomass is around 206 MMT which can be utilised for power generation and production of bio-fuels besides other alternative uses, Shripad Naik, Minister of State in the MoP told the Rajya Sabha.
The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 effective from April 1, 2026, mandate four-stream segregation of waste at source and restrict landfilling strictly to non-recyclable, non-energy recoverable waste and inert material. Bulk Waste Generators (BWGs) have been assigned specific responsibility for collection, segregation, transportation and processing of waste in an environmentally sound manner within their premises, while Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are responsible for ensuring compliance and managing waste within their jurisdiction as per the prescribed provisions. Under SWM Rules, 2026, the criteria for levy of spot fines for littering are decided by ULBs as per their bye-laws, Tokhan Sahu, Minister of State in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs told the Rajya Sabha.
