JODHPUR, April 29 -- The Rajasthan high court has ordered the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur and the chief judicial magistrate of Sirohi to probe allegations of groundwater contamination near a cement factory in Sirohi district and submit a report by May 19. Hearing a public interest litigation filed by Hari Singh Sodha, a division bench of justice Vinit Kumar Mathur and justice Chandra Shekhar Sharma directed a committee-comprising the chief judicial magistrate, Sirohi, and two experts from IIT Jodhpur-to inspect the area, collect samples and examine pollution reports already submitted by authorities. The committee must conduct the inspection on May 2 or May 3. The bench described the issue as extremely serious, observing that "the present case is an eye opener for this Court as the question raised in the present public interest litigation involves the very existence of inhabitants of the village near the factory." Earlier, acting on court directions, a Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board team inspected the factory premises on April 14 and 15 and submitted a report. The factory was not operating at the time, the report noted, because "there were no labourers/workforce to operate the machines and the manufacturing activities were not undertaken at the site/factory in question." However, the report flagged serious environmental concerns, stating that "severe groundwater contamination has occurred due to the improper handling and disposal of hazardous waste. The contamination remains active and is spreading, thereby posing significant risks to the environment as well as to public health."...