Ratnagiri Forever Chemicals Row Intensifies: Parliamentary Spotlight and Local Resistance

The long simmering controversy over a chemical facility in Ratnagiri’s Lote Parashuram MIDC has reached a critical juncture. As of February 5, 2026, the issue has transitioned from local environmental anxiety to a matter of national parliamentary debate. The escalating tensions follow a series of Elgar protest rallies and formal inquiries in the Rajya Sabha, demanding immediate clarity on the production of Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

 
Parliamentary Intervention: February 3 to 4, 2026
The dispute saw a significant development earlier this week. On February 3, 2026, Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari formally challenged the central government regarding the safety of the plant. Tiwari demanded an immediate halt to operations, citing the lack of a national regulatory framework for forever chemicals and the severe health risks they pose. In a written response tabled on February 4, 2026, Union MoS for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh confirmed that the facility, operated by Yellowstone Fine Chemicals Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of Laxmi Organic Industries), utilizes infrastructure procured from the insolvent Italian firm Miteni S.p.A. during 2021 to 2022. The Ministry maintained that according to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), effluent treatment systems are currently operational and recent samples from November 4, 2025, were within consented standards.

The Miteni Connection: A Global Shadow
The root of the local fear lies in the history of the machinery now installed in Ratnagiri.
In 2018, Miteni S.p.A. filed for bankruptcy in Italy following a massive environmental scandal that contaminated the water supply of 350,000 people. In June 2019, Laxmi Organic Industries acquired Miteni’s assets, including 14 patents and 41 REACH registrations, for 4.63 million Euros. In June 2025, an Italian court sentenced 11 former Miteni executives to a total of 141 years in prison for their role in the environmental disaster, raising questions about why the same technology is being re-deployed in the Konkan region.

State Government and Local Protest
Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant has spent the early weeks of 2026 attempting to quell public unrest. Following large scale demonstrations in January 2026, including an indefinite dharna led by the Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti and convener Satyajit Chavan, Samant issued a public assurance.
The government will not permit any project that damages the natural beauty or health of the Konkan, Samant stated during a press briefing. He noted that while the machinery is being verified, the MPCB has reported that the specific PFAS chemicals in question have not been manufactured at the site so far.
However, activists led by leaders like Rohit Pawar and Husain Dalwai argue that the presence of tainted machinery constitutes a threat. On January 22, 2026, protesters began an agitation at the company gates, which has continued to garner support into early February.

The Regulatory Vacuum
The controversy highlights a glaring gap in Indian environmental law. While countries in Europe and North America are moving toward total bans on PFAS in 2026, the Union Ministry confirmed this week that India has no specific environmental regulation banning PFAS manufacturing.
With the MPCB under pressure to release a comprehensive final report, the residents of Ratnagiri remain on high alert. For many, the fight is not just against a single factory, but against the prospect of the Konkan becoming a destination for industries discarded by the West.