No separate environmental clearance was required to produce additional ethanol from another category of molasses as it didn’t contribute to the pollution load, the Environment Ministry announced here on Tuesday.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted the decision. “In yet another major decision for the benefit of farmers & sugar industry, central government has declared that no separate environment clearance is required to produce additional ethanol from “B-heavy molasses as it doesn’t add to the pollution load”, he said.
With various incentives provided by the central government, the Environment Ministry said mills were expected to undertake production of ethanol from B-heavy molasses and other by-products resulting in incidental increase in the production of ethanol without any rise in the pollution load in the existing distilleries or sugar mills to which environmental clearance had been granted.
