The Karnataka State Biofuel Development Board (KSBDB) will organise a three-day biofuel mela at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat in Bangalore from August 10 to popularise the use of biofuel.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, Y B Ramakrishna, executive chairperson and A K Monnappa, managing director, KSBDB, said the Board aimed to sow 12 crore seedlings of biofuel yielding plants in three lakh hectares by 2017.
Ramakrishna said ever since the inception of KSBDB four years ago, around 4.5 crore seedlings had been planted by farmers across the State. He said the Board had simplified technology of biofuel production and introduced the farmers to the same. “The idea is to help each village meet its energy requirements through value addition of biofuel, apart from meeting the State’s demand for biodiesel and bioethanol,” he said.
The biofuel policy targets blending of at least 20 per cent biofuel with diesel and petrol by 2017. Ramakrishna said Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh were already meeting five per cent of the bioethanol requirements in 22 states. The mela will involve farmers, students, writers and policy makers and introduce its concept to target groups through discussions, infotainment, cultural programmes and walkathon.
The event will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar. A model unit demonstrating extraction of biodiesel from oil seeds will be set up at the mela venue. A yakshagana and harikatha on biofuel will also be organised on the occasion. The Chitrakala Parishat students will paint five KSRTC and BMTC buses running on biofuel blend and the chief minister will flag off the buses at the Vidhana Soudha.