The Delhi Taxi and Tourist Transporters and Tour Operators Association has announced a protest march to Parliament on August 4 against the government’s E20 petrol policy. The group says many transporters are worried that the fuel is affecting older vehicles by reducing mileage, raising repair costs, and causing engine problems. The Central government, however, says E20 fuel is safe, cleaner than regular petrol, and helps farmers by creating more demand for ethanol.

At a press conference on Friday, association president Sanjay Samrat spoke about the concerns raised by transport operators from different parts of the country. Holding sugarcane during the event, he said many vehicle owners have shared complaints after using E20 petrol.

Samrat said several transporters have reported lower fuel mileage and higher spending on vehicle repairs. He also said many owners fear that long-term use of E20 fuel could affect engine life. According to him, many vehicles made before 2015 were not built for petrol with 20 percent ethanol, while newer models are better prepared for such fuel.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has rejected these claims. The Ministry said India’s ethanol blending plan has moved forward step by step over more than 20 years. It also said there is no plan at present to raise the ethanol level beyond 20 percent.

Replying to comparisons with Brazil, the Ministry said ethanol has been used as a vehicle fuel in many countries for more than 100 years. It added that India’s move toward ethanol-blended petrol has been planned through policy changes, investment, and higher production over many years.

The Ministry also said work on ethanol blending started long before the current government came to power. A pilot project began in 2001, the programme was announced in 2004, and petrol with 5 percent ethanol reached several states by 2006. The policy was also published in the Gazette of India in January 2013.

Officials said India first planned to reach 5 percent ethanol blending in 10 states and Union Territories. However, progress was slow, and blending stayed at about 1.5 percent until 2014.

According to the Ministry, the main problem was low ethanol production. At that time, most ethanol came from sugarcane, which is a seasonal crop. Annual production was about 400 crore litres, which was too low to meet higher blending goals.

The government said things changed after the National Policy on Biofuels was launched in May 2018. The policy focused on increasing ethanol production, bringing in more investment, and building the system needed to support higher blending levels. Officials say these steps have helped reduce India’s dependence on imported crude oil while supporting cleaner fuel.

Image: psuindia.com

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke ended his hunger strike on Monday morning after activist Sonam Wangchuk asked him to do so while receiving treatment in hospital. Wangchuk’s message was shared by his wife, educator Gitanjali Angmo, from the protest stage at Jantar Mantar. She said Wangchuk wanted Dipke to save his strength for the protest ahead. After the announcement, Dipke broke his fast by drinking juice and then joined the march to Parliament. The father of NEET aspirant Riya Kumari, who died by suicide, also took part in the march.

Dipke and Angmo later got onto a slow-moving truck leading the march as thousands of CJP supporters walked behind them. Using a loudspeaker, Dipke repeatedly raised the slogan, “Dharmendra Pradhan must resign.”

At the same time, senior CJP leader Saurav Das said the Centre had contacted the party for talks. In a post on X, Das said he and party leader Ashutosh Ranka were on their way to meet BJP president J.P. Nadda after the government reached out earlier in the morning. He said the party’s demands remained the same and added that a large number of young people had gathered for the protest. The march was paused while the meeting was taking place.

Dipke began his hunger strike on Saturday after Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from the protest site at Jantar Mantar and admitted him to Safdarjung Hospital. The police said the step was taken because of Wangchuk’s health and the Delhi High Court’s directions. Wangchuk has been on a 21-day hunger strike as part of the CJP protest, which is asking for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged leaks in competitive exams, including NEET-UG.

Thousands of students and young people from different parts of the country reached Delhi to support the protest. On Monday morning, they marched towards Parliament, where the Monsoon Session is set to begin, to press for their demands. At least five Delhi Metro stations were closed as part of the security plan.

Security was tightened across central Delhi to stop the protesters from reaching Parliament. Around 32 companies of paramilitary forces, with nearly 2,000 personnel carrying riot control equipment and tear gas, were deployed in the area. Delhi Police also asked for 1,400 more personnel after the crowd grew larger.

A few hours before the march began, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka spoke to the crowd and asked protesters to raise only three slogans: “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” “Inquilab Zindabad,” and “Dharmendra Pradhan istifa do.” He urged people to stay calm and peaceful and warned them not to react if someone tried to provoke them. Ranka said the protest had remained peaceful for the past 30 days and asked supporters to keep the same approach during the march to Parliament.

Heavy rain continued across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Thursday morning after hours of overnight showers. Many roads in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram were covered with water, leading to long traffic jams and slow movement of vehicles.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for all parts of Delhi, warning of very heavy rain. Orange alerts remain in place for Ghaziabad, Noida, Meerut, and Gurugram, where more rain is expected through the day.

Weather Experts Warn of More Heavy Rain

Weather observers tracking the monsoon system say the rain may become stronger over the next several hours.

Independent weather analyst Navdeep Dahiya said on social media that Delhi-NCR is likely to see a very heavy spell of rain during the next 24 hours because of an active low-pressure system.

He said the period until late Thursday evening will be the most important. Light and moderate rain is expected to continue, along with many spells of heavy showers.

According to his forecast, East NCR, covering Noida, Ghaziabad, North Delhi, and East Delhi, could receive nearly 200 mm of rain. Central, West, and South Delhi, along with Faridabad, may record between 100 mm and 150 mm. Gurugram could receive between 70 mm and 150 mm.

He also advised people to avoid going outside unless it is necessary, as many roads are likely to remain waterlogged, especially in East NCR and nearby parts of Delhi.

Another Weather Page Gives Similar Forecast

Weather page India Skymet Weather has also warned of a strong spell of rain across Delhi-NCR.

According to its update, a low-pressure system moving along the monsoon trough is expected to keep affecting the region through the day. Strong rain clouds may bring continuous heavy showers.

The page estimated that East Delhi, East NCR, Noida, Ghaziabad, Baghpat, and Meerut could receive between 180 mm and 250 mm of rainfall during the next 24 hours.

IMD Issues Red and Orange Alerts

The IMD placed all districts of Delhi under a red alert on Thursday morning due to the risk of very heavy rainfall.

At the same time, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida), and Gurugram remain under an orange alert for thunderstorms and moderate to heavy rain.

The weather department also said rain is likely to continue across Delhi-NCR over the next few days. People have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel, keep checking official weather updates, and remain careful because of waterlogging and traffic delays.

Waterlogging Brings Traffic to a Crawl

The heavy rain has affected traffic across many parts of Delhi-NCR, with Gurugram seeing some of the worst conditions. Several private companies have asked employees to work from home.

Major roads in Gurugram remained flooded on Wednesday and Thursday. Traffic moved very slowly on roads near Narsinghpur, Basai, Kadipur, Sohna Road, and the Delhi-Jaipur Highway service lane. Several vehicles broke down after getting stuck in water, leaving many commuters waiting for hours.

Officials said teams from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), traffic police, and other departments are working to clear flooded roads and manage traffic.

Waterlogging has been reported in Sectors 31 and 39, Sheetla Mata Mandir Road, Sector 10A, Pataudi Road, Basai Road, Kadipur, and Umang Bhardwaj Chowk, among other places.

Rainfall Recorded Across Delhi-NCR

Rainfall data released by the IMD for the period between 8:30 am on July 8 and 6:00 am on July 9 showed heavy rain across many parts of the region.

In Delhi, Mehrauli received the highest rainfall at 83 mm. Lodi Road recorded 79 mm, followed by Pusa (73 mm), Chhatarpur (68 mm), Mayur Vihar (66 mm), Janakpuri (62 mm), Narayana (57 mm), Pragati Maidan (46 mm), Najafgarh (42 mm), Mungeshpur (40 mm), Jharoda Kalan (33 mm), and Jafarpur (6 mm).

In the NCR, Kamla Nehru Nagar in Ghaziabad received the highest rainfall at 143 mm, while Hindon recorded 53 mm. Gurugram saw lower rainfall, with North CAP University recording 27 mm and KVK recording 21 mm during the same period.

With the red alert continuing in Delhi and orange alerts in nearby districts, officials have warned that heavy rain, waterlogged roads, and traffic problems are likely to continue through the day.