The Supreme Court is set to hear on August 31 a petition seeking directions to the Centre and other authorities to make ethanol-content labelling mandatory and uniform across all petrol dispensing nozzles.
The plea has sought disclosure of the precise percentage of ethanol blended into petrol at every fuel station. The matter is listed before a bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale, according to the apex court's causelist for August 31.
Filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, the petition has also sought a direction requiring fuel stations to clearly mention the ethanol content of the petrol sold on every fuel invoice.
The petitioner has further asked authorities to create a publicly accessible database detailing vehicle compatibility with different ethanol blends.
"Direct the respondents (Centre and others) to prepare and publish within a stipulated time an official, public, vehicle-wise compatibility database searchable by manufacturer, model, engine type and year of manufacture, indicating the suitability or otherwise of various ethanol blends for each vehicle," the plea said.
The petition has also called for an independent expert committee to assess the real-world compatibility of E20 petrol across India's existing vehicle fleet.
It has proposed that the panel include representatives from the ministries of petroleum and natural gas, road transport and highways, the Bureau of Indian Standards, as well as independent automobile engineers and other experts.
The committee has been asked to examine the findings and make them available through a public report.
The proposed committee would also assess how E20 affects vehicle fuel efficiency, engine durability and maintenance expenses. It has been asked to examine potential implications for vehicle warranties and insurance as well.
The plea has further sought an assessment of E20's overall environmental impact, including tail-pipe emissions and the amount of water used in ethanol production.
It has also raised concerns over food security and the diversion of agricultural produce towards animal feed and ethanol production in connection with the country's ethanol-blending programme.
"Direct the respondents to frame a national consumer disclosure protocol for all ethanol-blended petrol, in consultation with the Central Consumer Protection Authority and the Bureau of Indian Standards," it said.
It also sought directions to the concerned authorities to place before the apex court all policy files, technical studies, compatibility reports, safety standards, consumer advisories and records of public consultation that support the compulsory roll-out of E20.
The plea called on authorities to formulate and publish within a time-bound period a transparent transition framework for legacy and non-compatible vehicles, including consideration of designated availability of lower ethanol petrol wherever technically, economically and logistically feasible, together with a reasoned decision supported by expert material and public consultation.
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