A significant controversy has broken out after reports confirmed that Laxmi Organic Industries Ltd obtained obsolete materials from Italy’s Miteni plant, which was shut down in 2018 following one of Europe’s largest PFAS contamination scandals. The Italian factory had also been tied to toxic “forever chemicals” entering groundwater and causing dangerous health problems affecting thousands of people. At the same time, the same machinery is being employed in Maharashtra which has Laxmi Organic’s facility manufacturing PFAS and reportedly dumping wastewater at Taloja (just a few kilometers from Mumbai) just in time for this.
Following Miteni’s closure, its patents and industrial equipment were transferred to India, investigations indicate. Laxmi Organic’s plants in Maharashtra, including Ratnagiri and Taloja, installed this sort of machinery. Environmental activists are concerned that the wastewater from the production of PFAS is leaking into local treatment plants and other water bodies, and pose hazards to communities nearby at the site of production, leading to contaminated groundwater. PFAS are dubbed “forever chemicals” because they are not easily broken down and accumulate when used in human bodies and the environment.
The revelations have sparked outrage among citizens and activists. Social media accounts and local leaders have asked why India is letting dangerous technology banned from Europe operate in areas where densely populated population swells. For some, this is a regulatory failure, of putting profits above public health. The discussion has also shifted to the political dimension, as critics have focused on BJP leader Uday Samant, who the plant works under whose regime they said must be held accountable.
PFAS exposure has been associated with cancer, hormonal disruption, and immune system damage. In Italy, contamination from Miteni contaminated drinking water for more than 350,000 people. Experts have warned that similar risks could arise in Maharashtra in the absence of close monitoring and disposal practices. The dumping of wastewater at Taloja, near Mumbai, poses long‑term health hazards to millions of residents.
The controversy also underscores India’s poor regulatory landscape for hazardous chemicals. While PFAS is tightly regulated in Europe, there are not as many comprehensive laws in India to restrict their production and disposal. Growing calls now are for a nationally binding policy to ban PFAS and hold industries responsible for pollution.
The Laxmi Organic Industries case is an example of how harmful chemical practices emerge through legislation that is weak in new jurisdictions. One once closed down in Italy for poisoning communities here is in force in Maharashtra, sounding the alarm for public health, environmental safety and safety protection. For some this is a wake‑up call: India must have a tough approach in order to enforce PFAS regulations, hold the company to account, and offer public protection from the toxic legacy of “forever chemicals” on its people.
