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Nagpur: With the intensification of rainfall, there has been a noticeable rise in incidents of vehicles breaking down due to fuel contamination. Investigations reveal that water is entering the fuel tanks of vehicles, a problem exacerbated by the lack of water-detection systems at petrol stations for ethanol-blended fuel. Petroleum companies are responsible for providing these systems, but their negligence has sparked frustration among petrol pump operators.
The central and state governments have allowed 15% ethanol to be mixed with petrol. However, even a small amount of water in this ethanol-blended fuel can lead to ethanol degradation, causing significant losses for petrol pump operators, according to the Vidarbha Petroleum Dealers Association.
When water enters a fuel tank at a petrol pump, it is typically detected using a specific chemical paste that turns pink. However, this test does not work with ethanol-blended petrol, so pump operators are unaware of water contamination in the tanks. While some petrol stations in Mumbai have adopted new systems that can detect water in ethanol-blended fuel immediately, such systems are not available in other parts of the state.
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Wednesday01 Jan. 2025
Amit Gupta, President of the Vidarbha Petroleum Dealers Association, speaking to local newspaper said, “Petroleum companies should inspect all petrol pumps for water contamination in fuel tanks before the monsoon season. Unfortunately, this is often overlooked, leading to damage for pump operators and customer complaints when water-mixed petrol affects their vehicles. Petroleum companies need to provide updated systems to address this issue.”
