Maharashtra
Swachh Bharat Mission drives toilet cleaner usage in India by 53pc in 2024

New Delhi, Dec 16 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Mission has driven toilet cleaner usage in Indian households by 53 per cent in 2024, according to a report.
The report by Kantar, a market research firm, showed that the country has seen a dramatic rise in the use of toilet cleaners and floor cleaners. From 19 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively of households using these in 2014, it more than doubled to 53 per cent using toilet cleaners and 22 per cent buying floor cleaners in 2024.
Launched by the government on October 2, 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission is a country-wide campaign initiated to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management and to create Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages.
The report attributed the growth of toilet cleaner usage in households to the mission’s success, coupled with marketing efforts. It said the mission significantly improved hygiene awareness and product penetration, particularly in rural areas.
As per the report, over 128 million new households have been added in the toilet cleaners, and 52 million homes in the floor cleaners segment.
The report said the surface cleaner market is about Rs 4,200 crore, with toilet cleaners accounting for half the segment at Rs 2,000 crore.
Kantar said the category was largely urban-centric a decade ago — that’s changed drastically.
A decade ago, 82 per cent of households that bought toilet cleaners were in urban areas, it was 90 per cent for floor cleaners.
“Urban is no longer the dominant source of the category with rural contributing to 52 per cent,” said K Ramakrishnan, managing director, South Asia, world panel division at Kantar. “Clearly, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan drove the importance of cleanliness to the Indian households, and simultaneously helped manufacturers to drive penetration of household hygiene categories as well.”
Since its inception in 2014, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has led to over 500,000 villages achieving ODF (Open Defecation-Free) plus status with rural sanitation rising from 39 per cent to 100 per cent.
Maharashtra
Former SIMI Office-Bearer & Key Accused In Delhi-Padgha ISIS Terror Module Case, Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan, Dies Following Brain Stroke

Mumbai: Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan (63), a former office-bearer of the banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and a key accused in the Delhi-Padgha ISIS terror module case, died after suffering a brain stroke. He was undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital and died about an hour before official sources confirmed the development.
Nachan was under investigation for his alleged involvement in aiding ISIS-linked operatives and was facing serious charges under anti-terror laws.
Nachan who was under judicial custody in Tihar Jail, was admitted to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital on Monday after suffering a stroke.
Due to the severity of his condition, he was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital on Wednesday morning for advanced medical care. According to National Investigation Agency (NIA) sources, Nachan was under close observation in the ICU prior to his death.
Maharashtra
59-Year-Old Laundryman Dies After Drinking Stain Remover Mistaken For Cough Syrup In Lower Parel

Mumbai: A 59-year-old laundryman from Lower Parel died after accidentally consuming a chemical used for removing stains from clothes, mistaking it for cough syrup. The incident occurred near Deepak Cinema in Jia Masoom Chawl, where the deceased, Sambhajit Rajai Dhobi, ran a small ironing shop. The NM Joshi Marg Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in the case.
Speaking to the media report, Senior Inspector Arvind Chandanshive of NM Joshi Marg Police Station said the incident occurred on the night of June 25 around 11:00 pm, when Sambhaji mistakenly consumed the stain remover chemical that had been stored in a cough syrup bottle. The next morning, between 7 and 8 am, he began vomiting blood and was rushed to KEM Hospital for treatment. However, despite efforts, he was declared dead by doctors at 3:20 pm on June 26.
Police said Sambhaji, who also worked as a clothes washer, had kept the chemical used for stain removal in a bottle typically used for cough syrup, which led to the fatal confusion.
Maharashtra
17-Year-Old Molested By Coaching Class Professors

Maharashtra: In a shocking incident, a 17-year-old girl was abused in a well-known coaching class in Beed, Maharashtra. The allegations have been leveraged against the two professors of the coaching classes.
The cops at the Shivajinagar police station registered a case under the POCSO Act late Thursday night. Professor Vijay Pawar, an office bearer of the coaching class association and a very well-known name in Beed’s coaching industry, along with Professor Prashant Khatavkar, allegedly molested a class 12 student.
As per the victim, in July 2024, Khatavkar asked the victim to visit her in his cabin, after which he behaved inappropriately. Later, she went to the institute’s director to report the incident. However, the victim alleged that the director also indulged in similar behaviour. According to her, the molestation continued till May 2025.
After the case was filed by the victim, Assistant Inspector Atul Kumar Landge took charge of the situation. “Both are absconding after committing the crime. Three teams of the local crime branch are trying to nab them,” Landge informed.
This incident has raised concerns over women’s safety in coaching centres in Beed.
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