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Maharashtra

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

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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

The government should immediately withdraw the FIRs registered against schools in Mumbai’s slum areas, make them permanent by relaxing the conditions: Abu Asim Azmi

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Mumbai, June 24, 2026: Senior Samajwadi Party leader and MLA from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Abu Asim Azmi, raised the issue of private schools running in slums (slum areas) in the House during the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly. He has demanded that the FIR registered against the principal, secretaries and chairman of these schools be withdrawn immediately and these schools should be saved from closure. Addressing the House, Abu Asim Azmi said, “My constituency Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar is a very poor and backward area. Around 30 to 35 thousand children are studying in private schools here. The capacity of BMC schools in this area has been completely exhausted and there is a long waiting list of children for new admissions. In such a situation, these private schools are the only support for the education of poor children.

Key demands and points:
Relaxation of conditions and regularization

The conditions of the government for approving schools such as open space, playground, etc. are practically impossible to meet in slum areas. Therefore, the government should make special laws for these areas and regularize them. FIRs registered against the management of these schools in Shivaji Nagar and Deonar police stations The R should be withdrawn immediately. He said that the result of these schools is more than 90 percent and their educational standard is better than BMC schools. Here, teachers are teaching children for a meager salary of just Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 7,000. He added that there has been a delay in the formation of the committee. In the last meeting, the government had also assured to form an inquiry committee on this issue, but no committee has been formed so far. Abu Asim Azmi warned that if these schools are closed due to administrative action, the future of 30 to 35 thousand poor children will be completely dark. He has strongly appealed to the government to intervene in this matter immediately.

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Maharashtra

Fake BMC Deputy Commissioner Altaf Sheikh arrested

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Mumbai: Crime Branch claims to have arrested a young man who used to deceive people by posing as BMC Deputy Commissioner. The Crime Branch investigated the complaint of a 45-year-old man named Altaf Sheikh and found the complaint to be valid, after which the Crime Branch laid a trap and arrested him. He also used to use a car with a light. Apart from this, an identity card was also recovered from his possession, a fake sticker of the Government of India and a fake card were also recovered. The accused used to use an official visiting card and used to declare himself as BMC Deputy Commissioner. He was arrested from Malad in a car with a light. This operation was carried out by DCP Raj Tilak Roshan of Mumbai Crime Branch.

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Maharashtra

Murder in Mumbai local train over dispute over closing door during rain

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Mumbai: Tension has flared up in a sensational murder on a Mumbai local train. A passenger was stabbed to death by another passenger on a Mumbai local train. The incident took place at around 10 pm on Tuesday. Police said the deceased passenger has been identified as Mayank Lohar (22). The accused has been identified and six teams have been deployed by the Railway Police to arrest him. After this incident, once again the issue of travel safety has come to the fore. A person was stabbed to death on a Mumbai local train at around 10 pm on Tuesday, June 23. Police said the incident took place in a first class compartment. The incident took place between Borivali and Andheri stations. During heavy rain, an argument broke out over closing the door of the train and it escalated. During this, one passenger stabbed another passenger to death. According to Railway Police sources, after the argument, other people beat up the accused. The enraged accused took out a knife from his bag and attacked Mayank, killing him. The attacker got off the train at Borivali station before it stopped and fled. After the incident, the Railway Police has formed six teams to arrest the accused and the police have also started a search operation and search campaign.

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