NEW DELHI: In a move which may benefit farmers and sugar industry, the Centre has decided that no separate environment clearance is required to produce additional ethanol from heavy molasses as it doesn’t add to pollution load in the existing distilleries or sugar mills.

“With various incentives provided by the government of India, sugar mills are 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 increase in the total pollution load in the existing distilleries or sugar mills to which environmental clearance have already been granted, said Union environment ministry. “... The government has given a clarification relating to issuance of environmental clearance in order to facilitate the sugar mills to undertake additional production of ethanol from B-heavy Molasses in place of using C-heavy Molasses without any increase in the total pollution load, ” it added.