India is accelerating its bioethanol program, aiming for 20% ethanol in petrol by 2026.

Ethanol is made from sugarcane—a water-intensive crop. With the increasing demand, farmers in the drought-prone Marathwada region in Maharashtra are turning to sugarcane farming. But critics warn that while ethanol may be providing short-term profits to farmers, it is creating water shortages.

The reporting for this story was supported by Earth Journalism Network.