Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, who is known to be strong proponent of alternate fuels, said that he is working on a project to make aviation turbine fuel (ATF) out of bamboo oil. “When I say this in Delhi circles, they think I am crazy. But NEERI is working on a project to extract oil out of bamboo. As much as 40% oil can be extracted from bamboo, and it can be processed to make the fuel that is used in aircraft,” said Gadkari, after he inaugurated Agrovision — the annual exhibition for farmers patronized by him.
The NEERI report will be out soon, said Gadkari. “I strongly believe that continuing with traditional crops like cotton, soyabean or even paddy and wheat is not going to help the farmers much. Rates of crops like cotton depend on the market conditions and there is already a surplus of food crops like paddy or wheat. Sources of alternate fuel can be the future. Bamboo can even be grown on the farms’ edges,” he said.
Indian Air Force (IAF) has already flown a jet and a helicopter on biofuel made out of jatropha seeds. Non-edible oilseeds can be a major source of biofuel, thus benefiting the farmers. “When those from two major automobile companies — Bajaj and TVS — came to meet me, I said, do not expect anything from me till you come up with two-wheelers running on alternate fuels. Now, TVS has launched a motorcycle running on biofuel which is on display at the event,” he said.
“The farmers can provide the source for bio-fuels. I have a plan to make the districts of Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gondia Bhandara and Gadchiroli diesel-free. All the vehicles, including buses and tractors, will run on bio-fuels,” he said. Gadkari added, “Sugar farming too has now turned profitable in the region. Looking forward to emulate the success in western Maharashtra, sugar factories were started even in Vidarbha. As much as 20 of the factories went bankrupt eventually. Today, there are farmers having sugar cane crop worth as much as Rs64 core,”
“We are running a yearly loss of Rs150 to Rs200 million but are still running sugar factories for the farmers’ benefit,” said Gadkari referring to the erstwhile Purti Group which runs a sugar factory now under a new entity Manas Agro.
In a reference to the state’s politics he said, “There is no need to worry about who will form the government. No matter who comes to power, the government will run systematically and we will be able to get our work done and ensure that farmers’ interests are protected.” The Union agriculture minister Narendrasingh Tomar was also supposed to attend the inauguration but his trip was cancelled later on.
