India, May 4 -- In a major breakthrough following an expose by the Hindustan Times on the rampant burning of industrial waste in the ecologically sensitive Aravalli region, authorities in Nuh district have identified five companies from Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, that are allegedly involved in dumping chemical-laced scrap in forested areas and setting it on fire, officials said. The illegal practice has been linked to severe environmental degradation, health hazards among the local population and recurring forest fires in the Khori Kalan and Khori Khurd villages near the Haryana-Rajasthan border. Taking cognisance of media reports and mounting pressure from residents, Nuh deputy commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena, on Friday, formed a five-member fact-finding committee to investigate the toxic burning and illegal waste transport into Aravalli zones. "We took suo moto cognisance and have formed a panel to investigate," Meena said. The panel, which includes the SDM Tawadu, district forest officer, DSP Tawadu, and a regional officer from the Pollution Control Board, visited the site and seized a tractor-trolley loaded with chemical waste that was traced back to industrial units in Bhiwadi. During the inspection, discarded packaging and chemical drums retrieved from the site revealed data pointing to five specific firms. "We have collected substantial material from the dump site in Khori Kalan, and based on packing slips and container labels, five companies from Bhiwadi have been identified. Notices will be issued to them shortly," Meena said....