Bengaluru. A new controversy has arisen in the country regarding the quality of E20 petrol. The Karnataka government has claimed that the amount of ethanol found in samples taken from several petrol pumps in the state was more than the prescribed 20 percent. In some samples this level was recorded up to 31.2 percent. Calling it a serious matter, the state government has demanded action against the oil companies concerned, compensation to the affected vehicle owners and display of the actual quantity of ethanol at petrol pumps.
Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Rizwan Arshad said petrol samples were collected from seven districts including Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumkuru. Their investigation was done at Sriram Research Institute in Bengaluru. In the investigation report, it was said that 31.2 percent ethanol was found in a sample of Indian Oil and 30.5 percent ethanol in a sample of Hindustan Petroleum. Some samples from Bharat Petroleum, Nayara Energy and Shell have also been claimed to contain ethanol in excess of the prescribed limit.
Possibility of damage to vehicle mileage and parts
The state government says that the mileage of vehicles may be affected if ethanol is found in excess of the prescribed limit. Apart from this, parts like fuel pump, injector, hose and seal are also feared to be affected. The government has demanded the Center to make public clear information regarding the amount of ethanol in petrol and take action against the companies violating the rules.
The Karnataka government has also proposed to create a special compensation fund to compensate vehicle owners for possible losses. Along with this, a demand has been made to make it mandatory to mention the percentage of ethanol in the fuel at petrol pumps, so that customers can remain informed about the quality of the fuel.
Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL denied the claims
On the other hand, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have raised questions on the claims of the Karnataka government. The three companies issued a joint statement saying that the E20 petrol being supplied by them across the country is in accordance with the Bureau of Indian Standards standard IS 17021. According to the companies, the process of taking samples in October was not followed as per the prescribed rules.
The companies claimed that their representatives were not present during the collection of samples and they were not provided complete information about the samples, petrol pumps and detailed laboratory reports. They say that the test certificates do not contain complete details of the prescribed technical process, hence the quantity of ethanol recorded in them cannot be independently verified. The companies have again demanded joint testing in an authorized laboratory.
Government and oil companies face to face on the results of the investigation
The controversy over the quality of petrol has deepened after differences in the claims of the Karnataka government and oil companies came to light. While the state government is saying that on the basis of testing, more than the prescribed limit of ethanol has been found, the oil companies are challenging the very process of taking samples and testing. In such a situation, independent testing of the samples as per the prescribed standards and verification of related documents will be important to clarify the real situation.