Italian ‘Forever Chemical’ PFAS Plant Convicted of Mass Poisoning Resurfaces in Maharashtra.

Italian ‘Forever Chemical’ Plant, Convicted of Mass Poisoning, Resumes Production in Maharashtra’s Konkan

Sprouts News has exclusively investigated the dark side of a project relocating a toxic ‘forever chemical’ (PFAS) plant from Italy to Lote Parshuram, India. Following the investigation, Editor-in-Chief and investigative journalist Unmesh Gujarathi has written to government authorities, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The news outlet also plans to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court to challenge the plant’s operation.

A convicted Italian chemical factory has been secretly resurrected in India’s ecologically fragile Konkan coast. The Miteni plant, whose executives were sentenced for poisoning the water of 350,000 people, now operates in Ratnagiri’s Lote Parshuram MIDC. This Sprouts News Special Investigation Team report uncovers a global shell game with toxic consequences.

Indian company Laxmi Organic Industries purchased Miteni’s banned machinery and patents. Its subsidiary, Viva Lifesciences, has restarted production of hazardous PFAS, or “forever chemicals”. The pristine region now faces a severe, irreversible public health threat.

From Italian Courtrooms to Indian Coast: A Toxic Transfer

The Miteni factory in Vicenza, Italy, caused one of Europe’s worst environmental scandals. For decades, it manufactured PFAS, contaminating groundwater and affecting over 350,000 residents. A 2024 study linked the pollution to thousands of deaths.

In a landmark June 2025 ruling, an Italian court sentenced 11 former Miteni executives. They received a cumulative 141 years in prison for environmental disaster and poisoning water resources. The court also levied millions in fines for environmental restoration.

Despite this, the physical plant escaped justice. Following Miteni’s 2018 bankruptcy, its assets were auctioned. Laxmi Organic Industries was the sole bidder, acquiring everything in 2019. Over 300 containers shipped the equipment to Maharashtra.

The Lethal Legacy of “Forever Chemicals” Now in Lote

PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they never break down in nature. They accumulate permanently in the environment and human body. The US EPA states there is no safe level of exposure to these substances.

Documented Health Impacts of PFAS Exposure:

• Cancer: Increased risk of kidney and testicular cancers.
• Reproductive Harm: Can reduce fertility in women by up to 40% and cause developmental issues in children.
• Systemic Damage: Linked to thyroid disease, high cholesterol, and immune system suppression.

In Italy, Miteni’s own workers showed some of the highest PFAS blood levels ever recorded. One worker described having “all” the related medical conditions.

Also Read: Unauthorised Construction Scandal Exposed in Mulund.

A Regulatory Vacuum and Local Collateral Damage

A critical factor enabling this move is India’s lack of PFAS regulation. While the EU moves to ban thousands of these chemicals, India has no specific environmental standards for them. This creates a dangerous “pollution arbitrage”.

The Lote Parshuram industrial zone has a dismal environmental record. Its centralised wastewater treatment plant frequently fails, especially during power cuts. Industries then release polluted water directly into local streams.

Local communities and fisherfolk have already suffered collapsed livelihoods from past pollution. The arrival of a high-risk PFAS plant significantly escalates the threat to the region’s water and food security.

Corporate Strategy and Official Silence

Corporate communications reveal a calculated strategy. Laxmi’s management aimed to “capture [the] market share of Miteni”. They downplayed environmental concerns to investors, claiming operations were “legal according to European standards”.

Notably, Antonio Nardone, Miteni’s last convicted CEO, sits on the board of Laxmi’s Italian subsidiary. A former manager stated Nardone made business trips to India before Miteni’s bankruptcy.

Despite repeated attempts by journalists, Maharashtra’s Industry Minister Uday Samant has provided no official response. This silence raises urgent questions about the permitting and oversight of such a hazardous operation.

A Global Pattern of “Pollution Colonialism”

This case is not isolated. It fits a pattern termed “pollution colonialism” or “toxic trade”. As Europe tightens regulations, polluting industries relocate to countries with weaker enforcement.

Other European chemical giants are dismantling plants for reassembly in Indian hubs like Dahej and Visakhapatnam. The logic is chilling: what is too toxic for Düsseldorf is deemed acceptable for Dahej.

The transfer shifts the health burden to Indian communities. The consequences, as seen in Italy, may take decades to manifest fully but will persist for generations.

The resurrection of the Miteni plant in Maharashtra represents a profound failure of global environmental accountability. It prioritises corporate profit over the health of rural Indian communities and the sanctity of their natural resources. The Sprouts News Special Investigation Team will continue to track this story.

Courtesy: This report includes news inputs from The Guardian and sr. journalist Gianluca Liva.