Ponda: As the Union government banned the blending of ethanol produced by sugarcane juice or syrup into petrol, the Sanjivani Sugarcane Producers’ Association has demanded that the state government revamp the existing sugar factory at Dharbandora and restart manufacturing of sugar.
After the government shut down the factory in 2019-20 on grounds of recurring mechanical problems, non-availability of spare parts and shortage of local sugarcane, the factory mooted switching over to an ethanol-producing unit.
In 2021, the factory sought expertise of the Deccan Sugar Technologists Association (India), Pune, to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the production of ethanol, which was approved by the government.
The government, however, failed to find a bidder for ethanol production, said Rajendra Desai, chairman of the association.
Since the closure of Sanjivani Cooperative Sugar Factory, farmers send their cane produce to factories in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Desai said sugar production is possible at the Dharbandora factory, provided the government revamps the entire production setup.
He said the cane crushing unit and boilers, along with some major machines, are still in good condition as the factory had been conducting time-to-time maintenance after the end of every crushing season.
