According to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, the government is focusing on encouraging the use of non-polluting sources to power both private and public transportation because pollution has become a major problem in India.
The minister stated at the NDTV InfraShakti Awards, “We need affordable, environmentally friendly, and domestic transportation options. Right now, automakers are introducing flex cars and Indian Oil is setting up 300 ethanol pumps.”
“Therefore, it is preferable to use ethanol at Rs 60 per litre rather than petrol, which costs Rs 120, and to run the car 60% on electricity and 40% on ethanol.” Moreover, this will lessen pollution,” he continued.
In addition, Union Minister Gadkari declared his goal of bringing about a “green revolution” in agriculture.
He made it clear that investors are lining up to support his initiatives, saying that “his ministry is sitting on a gold mine.”
Attending the ceremony was Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, who stated that the government was utilising every energy source available and that the future of the industry looked brighter than ever.
Regardless of your point of view, when considering biofuels, green energy, or the transition, take a look at the 15% of the shift that has already been completed. We blended 15% of the fuel with biofuel. Additionally, we are resolving the agricultural issue,” the minister declared.
NDTV also conducted interviews with specialists regarding environmentally friendly infrastructure that is adaptable to climate change throughout the event.
Among the panelists were Vinayak Chatterjee, the founder of The Infravision Foundation, Amit Singh, the CEO of Adani Green Energy, Ashwani Gupta, the CEO of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, and Anumita Roychowdhury, the Executive Director of Research and Advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
Amit Singh stated that a significant spike in the need for power is “coming our way and looking at what’s happening around us in terms of increase in temperature and atmospheric conditions, it’s important that sources of electricity become green.”
500 GW of renewable energy capacity are to be installed by 2030, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal.
The government claims that indigenous technology and an abundance of solar energy are helping to meet this goal while lowering carbon emissions.
“Trade is a major topic when we discuss industrialization, energy, and infrastructure. According to our data, 95% of our trade was maritime last year, or 68% of India’s total worth, stated Ashwani Gupta.
“This is very clear and more and more efficient trade, not only in India but globally, is going to contribute to this $10 trillion economy,” he stated.
There is a lesson to be learned from the summer that people recently experienced, according to Anumita Roychowdhury, as there was an exceptional flood followed by a protracted heat wave.
“It’s telling us that climate change is real and constant but we can’t keep blaming climate change all the time, keeping in mind the way infrastructure is taking shape today, it aggravates and compounds the impact if we don’t get the blueprint right,” she said. India is encumbered by enormous historical infrastructure installations from colonial periods, such as railroad bridges, dams, and tunnels, as Vinayak Chatterjee noted.
“We should have a very strong inspection team to keep that infrastructure in check so that railway bridges and dams don’t collapse, cracks don’t appear in hill towns such as Joshimath,” he stated.
