New Delhi, Aug 4: The government on Tuesday said that fuel quality at retail outlets is being monitored regularly and additional testing measures have been introduced amid concerns over alleged adulteration of E20 petrol.In a statement, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said oil marketing companies carry out routine checks to ensure that petrol and diesel sold at fuel stations meet prescribed quality standards.
The ministry added that further testing has been initiated alongside existing monitoring systems to identify possible cases of contamination or adulteration.According to the government, water-leakage tests are conducted eight to twelve times daily at more than 87,000 fuel retail outlets across the country.
These checks are aimed at detecting water contamination and maintaining the quality of fuel stored and supplied through petrol pumps.The ministry said that over 2,000 fuel samples had also been examined for possible chloride and sulfide contamination.
So far, only two cases involving chloride adulteration have been reported, following which fuel sales at the affected outlets were stopped immediately.Authorities said strict action would be taken if adulteration is detected at any fuel station.
Oil marketing companies have also been directed to strengthen preventive measures across the fuel supply chain, including storage, transportation and retail distribution.Addressing concerns regarding E20 petrol, the government said vehicles compatible with the ethanol-blended fuel undergo required technical testing and validation before reaching consumers.
The ministry cited data from around 1.4 crore E20-operated vehicles, stating that no evidence of ethanol-related corrosion had been observed.
It maintained that E20-compliant vehicles are assessed according to established standards before being approved for use.The government said fuel-quality monitoring would continue and urged consumers to report suspected cases of adulteration or poor-quality fuel to the concerned authorities.
