📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / UnpetitproleX
Agriculture
Himachal Pradesh to curb new ethanol plants over water and pollution worries
✍️ ChiniMandi
🗓 28 Aug 2026, 06:08 PM
👁 3
The Himachal government plans to limit new ethanol production units, citing water scarcity and environmental pollution concerns.
The state administration of Himachal Pradesh announced a policy to restrict the establishment of additional ethanol manufacturing plants, emphasizing growing concerns about water availability and potential pollution.
A review by the state water resources department highlighted that the region's limited water resources could be further strained by the high water demand of ethanol processing facilities.
Environmental officials also warned that effluent discharge from such plants could degrade local rivers and threaten the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, prompting stricter clearance norms.
The decision is part of Himachal's broader sustainability strategy, even as industry stakeholders note that the restriction may impact the state's role in India's national biofuel targets.
A review by the state water resources department highlighted that the region's limited water resources could be further strained by the high water demand of ethanol processing facilities.
Environmental officials also warned that effluent discharge from such plants could degrade local rivers and threaten the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, prompting stricter clearance norms.
The decision is part of Himachal's broader sustainability strategy, even as industry stakeholders note that the restriction may impact the state's role in India's national biofuel targets.