Residents of Amdai — a village on the outskirts of Sanguem in South Goa — have opposed since 2016 a proposed brewery and distillery project by Vani Agro Farms Pvt Ltd. The planned factory is to be located on a plot adjacent to the Uguem river, which is the principal source of water for Amdai and several downstream settlements. Villagers raised alarm that the factory’s water demand — reportedly hundreds of thousands of litres per day — could severely stress local water supplies and wells. They also expressed concern that effluent discharge, industrial activity, and large-scale clearing of land could harm local water quality and overall environmental health.
The land earmarked for the project was previously a coconut and cashew orchard, comprising several hundred coconut trees. Critics contended that a 2015 amendment to the Goa, Daman & Diu Preservation of Trees Act, which removed coconut trees from the list of legally protected species, enabled the clearing of the orchard for industrial use. While Vani Agro denied influencing the amendment, it acknowledged that under the revised law, separate permission to cut coconut trees was no longer required.
Local residents, supported by civil-society organisations including Goa Foundation, argued that the proposed brewery, classified as a “red-category” industry under environmental and land-use regulations, should not be permitted on orchard-zoned land. They filed a writ petition in the High Court of Goa challenging both the Investment Promotion Board (IPB) clearance and the Town & Country Planning Department’s conversion of land-use from orchard to industrial.
In subsequent years, the dispute resurfaced. Pollution-control documentation and consents were reviewed, and the Goa State Pollution Control Board amended the “Consent to Establish,” increasing the permitted production capacity of the facility. This adjustment was criticised by residents and local leaders as potentially increasing effluent discharge and environmental risk, drawing renewed demands for the cancellation of all permissions including water-draw approvals, municipal NOCs, and industrial clearances.
Tensions escalated when villagers physically halted excavation work at the site, citing concerns that proper environmental and land-use clearances were not in place. Authorities reportedly intervened to verify whether necessary permissions were valid, especially considering the “red-category” nature of the project.
Under mounting community pressure, public scrutiny, and political attention, the project was formally put on hold in 2017. By 2018, the Investment Promotion Board referred the project for external consultant review, signalling a re-evaluation of previous approvals.
Despite years of activism, petitions, reviews, and protests, there is no verified public record of large-scale production or full operations at the site. The dispute remains active, with unresolved issues including water sustainability, environmental integrity, land-use legality, and the need for community consent.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Private
N/A
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, Residential area
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Yes
Source/Reference
<https://www.newslaundry.com/2017/05/05/the-green-guardians-of-goa-a-citizens-movement-against-a-brewery> <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/vani-agro-project-on-hold-govt-to-review-it/articleshow/59746766.cms> [Government is considering relocating the project to another site instead of scrapping it]
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
138
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2016
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Other, Environmental Law
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.
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
No
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
Disposed
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
PILWP 22/2016
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Vani Agro Farms Private Limited
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Goa Foundation
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?
