The residents of Usgao village in Goa oppose the proposed expansion of the MRF tubes and tyre factory adjacent to the Khandepar river; they say the existing unit (established in 1971) has been a long-standing source of air pollution and that expansion will strain natural resources, public health and quality of life. The area already hosts other industrial plants including Nestlé, Finolex and Devyani Foods.
Residents note the project proposal would require 0.35 million litres/day from Khandepar river and contend no environmental study was carried out before site selection, a claim highlighted by Goa Foundation’s review of government documents submitted in court. The expansion was approved by the Goa Investment Promotion & Facilitation Board in 2015 and later received permissions from planning authorities, while the local panchayat passed resolutions on 28 March 2016 and 20 November 2016 rejecting the expansion. Large-scale tree-felling at the site in January 2017 sparked local protests.
In May 2018, the Dhatwada Usgao Citizens Forum together with Goa Foundation filed a public interest litigation before the Bombay High Court (Goa Bench) challenging the permissions and seeking a stay on construction activities. On 11 September 2019, the High Court directed that MRF stop work at the site; that interim direction remained the operative judicial position while related proceedings continued.
A separate petition by activist Kashinath Shetye was heard by the National Green Tribunal and disposed on 24 September 2020. The NGT noted that no forest or wetland violations were found, the project was not within a statutory buffer zone of a water body, and that the project would operate under a claimed zero-liquid-discharge model.
In September 2022, the Goa SEIAA/SEAC carried out formal technical scrutiny of MRF’s submissions. The SEIAA's 82nd meeting minutes (July 2022) show the authority sought clarifications and additional documentation and discussed mitigation measures and monitoring requirements before finalising environmental clearance.
Following that process, an Environmental Clearance for the Usgao expansion was issued in October 2022. The EC text records conditions including dust-suppression measures (mist fans, sprinklers), monitoring obligations, and MRF’s asserted commitments on wastewater management and zero liquid discharge.
Although the SEIAA issued conditional clearance, the litigation track continued. The PIL remained on the High Court docket beyond the 2019 interim order, with cause lists and court filings showing activity through 2023–2025. To reflect the ongoing judicial oversight, the High Court cause list for January 2025 shows entries related to the matter.
In January 2025, the High Court directed the Water Resources Department to probe allegations of illegal water-pumping at or near the project site and to file a factual report on quantities extracted, permissions (if any), and local impacts. The order came in response to the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Rohan Naik, in which villagers have complained about the company’s alleged illegal activities. They claimed that illegal water pumping has caused severe water shortages, forcing them to sell their cattle and face agricultural losses.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Refusal to give up land for the project
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project stalled
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Water bodies, Other natural resource collection/dependence
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Yes
Source/Reference
<https://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/HC-stays-excavation-for-MRF-factory-expansion/151091>
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
800
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
2015
Has the Conflict Ended?
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Environmental Law, Other, Other, Other, Other, Other
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
High Court of Bombay at Goa
Case Number
PIL WP 17/2018
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
No
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board, Goa Town and Country Planning Department, Directorate of Mines and Geology, Department of Water Resources, Goa State Pollution Control Board
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
MRF Private Limited (Madras Rubber Factory)
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
No
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Residents
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Anamika is an environmental lawyer based in Goa. She works with the Goa Foundation and the civil society in matters of environmental law and human rights, with a primary focus on issues arising from illegal mining, pollution, violation of coastal regulations and unsustainable planning. She is currently working on research related to conflict between tourism and wildlife/marine habitat conservation.
