Why the Supreme Court struck down Maharashtra’s methanol rules? | Explained
The Supreme Court of India struck down Maharashtra's rules requiring methanol to be denatured with additives, citing that the measures were disproportionate and hindered industrial use. The rules were originally implemented following a 1991 hooch tragedy.
Why it matters
This ruling balances public safety concerns regarding toxic substances with the operational needs of industrial manufacturers.
The story so far: The Supreme Court on Friday (September 18, 2026) has struck down Maharashtra government rules requiring methanol to be denatured with a colourant and bitterant before sale to non-drug manufacturers, holding that the measures were disproportionate and did not have a sufficient connection with the problem they sought to address.
A Bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran allowed the writ petitions filed by the methanol-based product manufacturers against the mandatory inclusion of additives in methanol because of amendments to the Maharashtra Poisons Rules, 1972, which had affected the quality and usability of their products
Methanol, or methyl alcohol, is a highly toxic substance. It is also widely used as an industrial raw material in products including formaldehyde, paraformaldehyde, paints, resins and other chemicals.
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