After TOI published a report (on Nov. 30, 2016) of illegal chemical dumping by these companies, Rachakonda police had arrested 14 accused, including employees of the companies, and also wrote to the PCB to take follow up action.

Yadadri deputy commissioner of police E Ramachandra Reddy said these companies were dumping chemicals for the past one to two years. "We have registered FIRs. After a series of reports in TOI, we took the issue seriously and Rachakonda commissioner of police Mahesh Bhagwat directed us to nab the offenders. We arrested the offenders on December 11 and further wrote to PCB officials to take necessary action under Pollution Control Act," he told TOI.

PCB also wrote to the electricity department to cut power supply to the units that were being shut down.

Hyderabad:After issuing closure orders to six pharma and chemical industries for illegally dumping chemical drums on city outskirts, the state Pollution Control Board said they will review the case if the companies appeal and the committee has decided to recover the charges for illegal dumping.

"Of the eight companies that are engaged in illegal dumping of chemical waste as per the police report, six are located in and around Hyderabad in Telangana, one in Andhra Pradesh and another in Bidar in Karnataka. We have written to the Pollution Control Boards of the two states and asked them to take necessary action against these companies. The closure orders of the six units in Telangana were issued under Section 33 A of Water Pollution Act and 31A of Air Pollution Control Act," joint chief environment engineer Muralidhar Reddy told TOI.

As per police findings, on November 28, the gang had dumped 155 chemical drums in agriculture lands at Kacharam village of Yadagirigutta police station. In July 2017, Thalasala Bharath Kumar of Vijetha Labs Private Limited located in Pasha Mailaram village handed over 68 drums and paid an amount of ₹35,000 and the same was dumped on the outskirts of Kallem village of Lingala Ghanpur Mandal, Warangal District A case was booked in PS Lingalaghanpur.

In the first week of August 2017, chemical drums belonging to Viroopaksha Laboratory Pvt. Limited, Jeedimetla, were collected from one Rajeshwar Reddy, store in-charge, for an amount of ₹70,000 and dumped by unidentified persons at Ammanabole village of Mutakondur. A case was booked with Mutakondur PS. Again in third week of August, chemical drums belonging to KMTK Laboratory Private Limited, Ibahimpatnam, were dumped in a dry field adjacent Devadula Canal Project on the outskirts of Anantharam village of Gundala Mandal. A case was booked with Gundala PS.

In the first week of September 2017, chemical drums belonging to Yag-Mag Labs Private Limited, Jinnaram of Medak district, were dumped on the outskirts of Ramalingampally village and a case was registered with Bommalaramaram PS. In the same month, chemical waste from Amrutha Chemicals Private Limited, Bollaram were dumped on the outskirts of Chandupatla village. In October '17, chemical drums from Golden Streak Laboratories Private Limited, Veliminedu were dumped in Chandepally village.