Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will launch India’s first CNG tractor on Friday that could save about Rs 1 lakh annually on fuel costs, the government said on Thursday.
The tractor has been converted to CNG from diesel.
“India’s first-ever diesel tractor, converted to CNG, will be formally launched by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari (Friday),” the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.
It added that the conversion, carried out jointly by Rawmatt Techno Solutions & Tomasetto Achille India, will help farmers increase their income by lowering costs and help in creating job opportunities in rural India.
Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Narendra Singh Tomar, Parshottam Rupala and V K Singh will also be present at the launch.
“The most important benefit for the farmer will be to save more than Rs 1 lakh annually on fuel costs, which will help them improve their livelihood,” the statement said.
Listing the important benefits of conversion to CNG, it said that apart from being a clean fuel that has the lowest content of carbon and other pollutants.
It is economical also as it has zero lead and is non-corrosive, non-dilutive and non-contaminating, which helps in increasing the life of the engine, and requires less regular maintenance, the ministry added.
It is cheaper also as CNG prices are far more consistent than fluctuating petrol prices; also the average mileage of CNG vehicles is better than that of diesel/petrol driven vehicles, the statement said.
The statement added that it is safer as CNG tanks come with a tight seal, which reduces the possibility of explosion while refuelling or in the event of a spill.
“It is the future, as at present, around 12 million vehicles are already powered by natural gas throughout the world and more companies and municipalities are joining the CNG movement every day,” the statement said.
Explaining specific benefits of converting tractors to CNG to farmers, the statement said test reports indicate that the retrofitted tractor produces more power/equal in comparison to diesel-run engine.
“Overall emissions are reduced by 70 per cent as compared to diesel. It will help farmers save up to 50 per cent on the fuel cost as the current diesel prices are Rs.77.43 per litre, whereas CNG is only Rs 42 per kg,” it added.