Latest news with #Kendre
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Kendre for people's participation to address Vidarbha's water crisis
Nagpur: Water conservationist Hanumant Kendre, popularly known as the Jaldoot of Marathwada, made an impassioned appeal for greater community participation to tackle Vidarbha's water crisis at a special interview session at Vidarbha Pani Parishad. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Widely recognized for transforming his drought-ridden village, Nagdarwadi, into a model of water sustainability, Kendre's journey inspired the national award-winning film Paani. "Water retention isn't rocket science. It's about creating a water bank, involving villagers in decision-making, and respecting traditional wisdom. You can't find rural solutions sitting in an AC room," he said. Kendre emphasized the importance of youth participation and suggested that students could lead change by organizing rural appraisals and learning directly from village elders. Kendre recalled how his mother and other women in the village had to walk nearly 5km daily to fetch water. "They carried heavy mud pots weighing around 40kg, filled with nearly 35 litres of water," he said. A turning point in his life came when his wife made water availability in the village a precondition for their marriage. "We had decided we would marry only each other, but she firmly said the wedding would happen only when our village had water," Kendre said. He then teamed up with his elder brother, who was then associated with Tata Institute of Social Sciences, to develop a sustainable water conservation model. After research, they implemented a pilot project over 1,014ha, designed to capture and retain downhill-flowing rainwater. This initiative evolved into what is now known as Indo-German Watershed Development Programme. The model has since been replicated in more than 50 villages across Maharashtra, with people from Washim, Hingoli, and Yavatmal approaching him for guidance. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Today, in Nagdarwadi, wherever you dig a borewell, you find water at just 100 feet," Kendre said with pride, emphasizing that the model is practical and fully replicable across water-scarce regions like Vidarbha. Kendre shared how his appearance on TV show Satyamev Jayate brought his work into the national spotlight. "Aamir Khan's team invited me to Mumbai. I was scared, nervous, and unsure, but after the episode aired, over 7–8 lakh people reached out to me. That changed everything," he said. He also urged those with the means to adopt villages and dedicate at least one day a week to sustainable work on the ground. Kendre credited individuals like RSS worker Upendra Kulkarni for supporting him in his mission. "We never took a single rupee of government funding. From an RSS shikshan kendra to volunteers who walked alongside us, we created a model based on people's power," he said. "Owning a big house or car isn't enough. Do something that benefits hundreds," he said.
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Indian Express
Khaki and crime: why criminality is creeping into Maharashtra Police ranks
On Tuesday, the Navi Mumbai police arrested two constables for alleged involvement in a drug syndicate in what was another troubling addition to a growing list of law enforcement officers in Maharashtra being linked to criminal activity in recent months. While some cases appear to be crimes of passion – such as a Panvel court's recent conviction of former officer Abhay Kurundkar for the 2016 murder of policewoman Ashwini Bidre – there is a disturbing rise in instances where police personnel are allegedly participating in organised crime. These include serious offenses like drug manufacturing, exemplified by the arrest of Mira Road Constable Pramod Kendre, who was reportedly producing mephedrone in his hometown of Latur. Criminalisation of the force is a spectre that has always haunted the men in khakhi, considering their unbridled power and contact with criminal networks as part of their jobs. An officer said that in the Mira Road case, arrested constable Kendre gained exposure to a drug racket when a local peddler he had nabbed bribed the police a huge amount to avoid arrest. Stunned to see the peddler's potential earnings from the drug business, Kendre allegedly used the informer to enter the drug trade. An officer said that while it has been a challenge to weed out the black sheep in the force, the collusion of personnel with drug networks is a worrying trend due to the lucrative nature of the drug trade. 'Production of mephedrone only requires the presence of a chemist and a lab, along with raw materials. The earning potential is quite huge as the manufacturing cost is around Rs 20-30 per gram while it is sold for Rs 1,800-2,000 per gram,' the officer said. 'In several cases, it begins with local police personnel taking money to turn a blind eye, and it later leads to collusion when they come to know of the high profit margins,' he added. An officer from Navi Mumbai police who had busted an international drug racket with the arrest of two constables and a customs superintendent, said, 'The superintendent told us that he had earlier reported the narcotics he had found, and cases were registered based on his action. He claimed that later, when he was offered Rs 1 lakh per kg of narcotics that he allowed to go through, he could not resist it anymore.' The malaise is, however, not limited to junior officers. In 2022, an extortion case was registered against IPS officer Saurabh Tripathi after he was alleged to have demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 10 lakh to allow angadias (who facilitate the transfer of money through an informal, discreet system) to run their businesses. While three junior officers were arrested, a chargesheet has so far not been filed against Tripathi. Former IPS officer-turned-lawyer Y P Singh said the police force suffers from 'hierarchical corruption' based on a policy of 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours'. 'The set-up has become corrupt with rampant politicisation of the force and uninspiring seniors. There is a proper nexus that operates and it is one or two who get caught while the corrupt system continues to function,' he said. Singh added, 'The senior officers have all cleared civil services exams and are the best brains in the country. If they can indulge in corruption, then what is the expectation from the constables? What cannot be cured, must be endured.' Former director general of police (DGP) and ex-chief of the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Praveen Dixit, said there is a need for strong internal vigilance to ensure that personnel who have such criminal tendencies are weeded out. 'One solution I had implemented during my time as the Maharashtra DGP was to launch the Police Mitra programme. Under this, two constables were paired with five respectable citizens and they were expected to work together. For local citizens, there is more at stake which ensures there is no scope for aberration. During my tenure as DGP, 5 lakh citizens had enrolled as police mitras,' Dixit said. Details of cases in recent years 1. Constable arrested for running mephedrone lab In April 2025, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Pramod Kendre, a 38-year-old constable attached to the Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar (MBVV) police, for allegedly operating a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Rohina village, Latur. Kendre, who came from a farming background, reportedly entered the drug trade with help from a police informer after being exposed to drug racketeers during his stint at Naya Nagar police station. Investigators believe Kendre was lured by the lucrative profits in the narcotics business after witnessing a drug peddler offer a large bribe. 2. DCP Saurabh Tripathi booked for extortion In 2022, Saurabh Tripathi, then deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Zone II, Mumbai, and three other officers were booked on charges of extortion and robbery following a complaint by the Bhuleshwar Angadia Association. Tripathi allegedly demanded monthly bribes of Rs 10 lakh to allow the angadias to operate. He was suspended following his arrest in March 2022, but was reinstated in January 2023 and is currently serving in the State Intelligence Department. 3. Crime Branch officers arrested in extortion case linked to former commissioner In November 2021, crime branch inspectors Nandkumar Gopale and Asha Korke, were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with an extortion case involving Param Bir Singh, former Mumbai police commissioner. The arrests followed a complaint by a businessman, and while the accused claimed the charges were fabricated, the officers were suspended and later reinstated in October 2022. In June 2023, a magistrate court put their trial on hold on a request by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). 4. FIR against 4 cops for planting drugs In December 2024, the Vakola police filed an FIR against four suspended officers from Khar police station after CCTV footage allegedly showed them planting drugs on a man. Sub-inspector Vishwanath Omble and constables Imran Shaikh, Sagar Kamble, and Dabang Shinde were charged with kidnapping, wrongful confinement, and causing hurt. The incident is believed to be linked to a land dispute, with the police allegedly acting on behalf of a developer targeting the complainant. 5. Constable booked for amassing illegal wealth In February 2022, the ACB booked Constable Suresh Bhimrao Bamne for possessing disproportionate assets valued at Rs 12.65 crore, 1,512 per cent more than his known income. His wife was also named in the case. 6. Policewoman caught smuggling gold at Mumbai airport In July 2023, Constable Sandhyarani Anandrao Chavan, who was posted at the Immigration Desk of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, was dismissed after being caught with 685 grams of smuggled gold worth Rs 35.50 lakh. The Customs Department discovered she was assisting a foreign national linked to a gold smuggling syndicate. 7. Cops dismissed for role in murder and rioting Two constables, Shyam Mahadeo Kuril and Tuljesh Fakirchand Kuril, were dismissed from the Mumbai police for their alleged involvement in a 2017 murder and rioting case in Hingoli. The incident stemmed from a violent clash over organising a dahi handi celebration, which resulted in one death and injuries to five others. The accused were allegedly part of a group that used swords and iron rods in the attack.
