NAGPUR: An environment-friendly bus is all set to ply on the roads of the city. Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Saturday that a bus that ran completely on ethanol would be handed over to Nagpur Municipal Corporation ( NMC ) within a fortnight.

The announcement was made by Gadkari at a felicitation ceremony of scientist Raghunath Mashelkar organized by Vanrai Fondation. On the occasion of Guru Purnima, the renowned scientist was conferred upon the first Padma Vibhushan late Dr Mohan Dharia nation building award. Other than Gadkari, MP Datta Meghe, director of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute Satish Wate, thespian Mahesh Elkunchwar were present at Mashelkar's felicitation.

The minister also said efforts were on to increase the country's ethanol production. "Today, India spends around Rs6 lakh crore to import fuels. Much of this money can be saved if we were to start using more environment friendly bio-fuels. Tata Group has rolled out a bike that runs completely on ethanol," informed Gadkari. The introduction of this bus in the city was a way to introduce public transport that ran on bio-fuels, he added.

The BJP leader acknowledged that not much bio-fuel was being produced in the country due to lobbying. "Currently, the national production of bio-fuel is 1 crore litre. We are trying to take it up to 2.5 crore litre. People also must start using these bio-fuels consciously," said Gadkari.

He also praised the efforts of NMC towards being a green corporation. He informed, "NMC is perhaps the first civic body to have earned money out of its toilet water which was sold to the state government for Rs 18 crore. This water will be regenerated. It is also planning to sell solid waste, which may bring in another Rs10 crore."

