Following sustained public concern over the environmental and health implications of “forever chemicals” and active reaction online and offline, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari questioned the Union Minister of State for Environment, Kirti Vardhan Singh, during a parliament session, regarding the production of PFAS chemicals at the Ratnagiri plant and the extent to which Indian environmental regulations restrict such activities.
In his written response, Minister Singh confirmed that the plant had been granted all requisite environmental clearances under existing statutory frameworks. He further stated that the facility’s effluent treatment and air pollution control systems were operational and compliant, with recent monitoring indicating emissions and waste handling within permitted thresholds. The minister also clarified that India currently does not maintain a comprehensive prohibition on PFAS manufacturing, although certain PFAS-based pesticides remain regulated under the Insecticides Act.
These developments underscore the broader regulatory challenge India faces: balancing industrial development and technological adoption with the precautionary management of highly persistent chemicals that have demonstrated long-term ecological and public health consequences elsewhere.
The issue continues to resonate internationally. On 5 March, the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) will convene a “PFAS Policy Workshop: Risk, Uses, and Replacements for a Sustainable Future” at the European Parliament in Brussels. Hosted by MEP Dimitris Tsiodras alongside EuChemS President Angela Agostiano, the workshop will bring together scientists, policymakers, and civil society stakeholders, including some representatives of India, to deliberate on emerging regulatory frameworks, scientific evidence, and strategies to mitigate the human and ecological risks of PFAS.
