From Europe’s Toxic Crisis to Ratnagiri: Parliament Reveals PFAS Technology Import

X : @vivekbhavsar

New Delhi: A chemical plant in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district has come under scrutiny after the Union government confirmed in Parliament that it imported manufacturing infrastructure from an Italian company linked to one of Europe’s largest PFAS contamination scandals.

Responding to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha by Congress member, Pramod Tiwari, the Union government confirmed that Laxmi Organic Industries Limited, located in the MIDC Lote Parshuram industrial area in Ratnagiri, procured manufacturing infrastructure from the Italian firm Miteni S.p.A. during 2021–22.  The revelation is significant because the Italian firm was at the centre of a major groundwater contamination crisis in Europe.

The reply, given by Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh, further stated that environmental clearance for the project was originally granted to Laxmi Organic Industries and later transferred to Yellowstone Fine Chemicals Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. The subsidiary received approval from the Maharashtra State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for expansion of production in 2025. 

The disclosure has triggered fresh debate among environmental observers because PFAS chemicals have been at the centre of several global contamination controversies.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial manufacturing because they resist heat, oil and water. Scientists often describe them as “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down in the environment.

Once released into soil or water systems, PFAS can remain for decades and gradually accumulate in groundwater, rivers, marine ecosystems and even the human body. Studies in several countries have linked prolonged exposure to certain PFAS compounds with serious health risks including cancer, immune system damage and hormonal disruption.

The Italian firm Miteni S.p.A. became the focus of one of Europe’s most widely reported PFAS pollution cases after groundwater contamination in Italy’s Veneto region affected thousands of residents. Investigations later found that PFAS chemicals had entered drinking water sources over a long period, triggering a major environmental and public health crisis. The company eventually shut down operations amid legal and environmental proceedings.

The confirmation that manufacturing infrastructure from the same company was later imported into India has raised questions among environmental observers about whether existing regulatory safeguards are sufficient to monitor PFAS production.

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In its reply, the government said the Ratnagiri facility has obtained all required statutory permissions under India’s environmental laws. According to the Ministry of Environment, the plant holds valid “Consent to Operate” approvals issued by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board under the Water and Air pollution control laws.

Monitoring conducted during a joint inspection in November 2025 reportedly found emissions and waste management systems operating within permitted regulatory limits. The government also clarified that India currently does not maintain a comprehensive ban on PFAS manufacturing. However, certain PFAS-related substances are listed under the Insecticides Act, 1968 and their use is periodically reviewed by authorities.

Despite these assurances, environmental campaigners in Maharashtra have expressed concern about the long-term ecological risks of PFAS manufacturing in the Konkan region. Ratnagiri lies in a high-rainfall coastal belt where groundwater movement and river systems eventually drain into the Arabian Sea, increasing the importance of strict environmental monitoring.

Scientists globally warn that PFAS contamination often becomes visible only years after exposure, making early surveillance and regulatory vigilance critical.

With the Maharashtra Assembly session currently underway, opposition legislators are expected to raise questions regarding PFAS manufacturing, environmental monitoring and regulatory safeguards surrounding the Ratnagiri facility.

The issue also highlights a broader policy dilemma for India: how to balance industrial growth with precautionary management of chemicals whose long-term ecological and public health impacts are still being studied worldwide.

The official Rajya Sabha reply confirming the import of manufacturing infrastructure from the Italian firm Miteni is reproduced below. Rajya Sabha reply by the Ministry of Environment confirming that Laxmi Organic Industries procured manufacturing infrastructure from Italy’s Miteni during 2021–22.