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Friday, March 29, 2024

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Friday, March 29, 2024

Alternative Energy

By the Editor

India is the world’s third largest nation in consumption of energy most of which is met through oil. Domestic production is very less and so has to depend on large import mostly from Gulf region and Saudi Arabia and this trend continues to increase at quite an alarming rate which leads to massive foreign currency outflow. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, India defied America’s sanction against Russia by importing crude oil from that country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic relationship with the West and his justification was however accepted though with some murmuring. Further, excessive use of fossil fuels, which emit much carbon poison to the environment, causes greater health hazards to the public. Consequently, in order to reduce oil imports and at the same time prevent higher carbon emission, India started blending ethanol in petrol as a pilot project in 2001 which is by-product during process of producing sugar from sugarcane, that is by mixing molasses with petroleum oil. Results are set to help not only the economy but also transform farmer’s income and recharge rural economy. However, in spite of potential during the earlier period, not much progress could be made due to easy compliance by the central government then and hence production remained stagnant. Scientists and researchers continue to improve technique of ethanol production and at the same time try to find other ways and means to find alternative sources for energy production in order to save foreign exchange and at the same time prevent climate change due to carbon emission.

Khalifa Said, an international scholar at Tezpur University, Assam and hailing from Alexandria, Egypt was able to create bio-diesel using left-over food products including cooking oil waste and leaves of radish and sweet potato. Khalifa said that this process is primarily meant for stopping climate change which is creating much havoc globally. Working under able guidance and dedicated scientists, Prof. Manabendra Mandal and Prof. Dhanapati Deka, both from Tezpur University, Khalifa has published papers in prominent science journals. Kitchen wastes thrown away by households and from restaurants can be used as feedstock for producing bio-diesel at much lower cost. Agricultural wastes are also potential sources for producing renewable and sustainable clean energies are findings by these eminent scientists including research scholars. Interestingly there are other students too who are  undertaking research in same the field and who are deeply concerned with damage done by fossil fuels leading to disastrous climate change.

Professors and research scholars at Tezpur University discovered that by working together and cooperating the task becomes much easier as contributions from multi-disciplinary researches including those from North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), Jorhat, Assam facilitate findings which are inter-related much to the benefit of science and technology. However, due to Covid-19 pandemic progress was affected and slowed down during 2020-2021. Nevertheless, challenges did not hamper spirit and desire of scientists and researchers to march ahead with main aim of fulfilling their ambition which they cherish and so devoted their time and energy ceaselessly.

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