Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said to reduce the dependency on imported petroleum products, the country should march towards running trains, airplanes, vehicles and factories on hydrogen fuel. Gadkari was delivering a lecture on the topic, "Atmanirbhar Bharat ki aur badte kadam" organised by Devi Ahilya Vishwa Vidyalay here.
“Today, we can run a car by separating hydrogen from water. I myself use a car that runs on hydrogen fuel, and it doesn't make any noise or emanate smoke,” said the Union minister for surface transport and highways. In days to come, steps should be taken to run trains, airplanes, trucks and buses and especially factories producing chemicals and cement using an alternate energy source like hydrogen and research should be done in this field, he said.
Expressing concern over dependency on imports in the country, Gadkari said, “We import petroleum products and petrol-diesel worth Rs 10 lakh crore every year. Though we have coal deposits, we still import it. Similarly, we import copper and iron despite having their reserves.” To make the country self-dependent, manufacturing should be encouraged, exports should be increased and imports should be reduced, he said.
The Minister further said that as steel manufacturers have hiked prices, he will permit the use of steel fibre in construction, which is 40 per cent cheaper than steel. Speaking about the surface transport ministry's big budget projects, Gadkari said, “There is a shortage of funds for the government projects in the country. Strong and positive political will power is most important in this matter. The requirement of resources and technology comes later.”
“We are introducing planes that can land on water. I am also bringing a bus that flies in the air, which can accommodate 250 people and it is in the Philippines,” he said. Stressing on the need to develop entrepreneurship among citizens, the minister told the large number of students present in the audience, “You should not become a job seeker, rather become the one who provides employment to others.”
-With PTI Input
