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Time of India
02-08-2025
- Time of India
NGO lodges complaint against illegal mining during monsoon in Akshi beach in Alibaug
Navi Mumbai: Awaaz Foundation has lodged a formal complaint with Alibaug tehsildar alleging illegal sand mining from Akshi beach using an excavator and its transportation by a truck. The NGO's convenor has attached photographs showing two vehicles in support of her claim with the complaint. The sand dredging issue has resurfaced at the beach 20 years after the last issue. Alibaug tehsildar, Vikram Patil has asked the local revenue circle officer to investigate the issue. Sumaira Abdulali had lodged the complaint through email to the tahsildar on July 27. Two photographs clicked on the weekend shows a man supervising the work with the two vehicles and a pit nearby. Nobody was manning the beach. Abdulali in her complaint had mentioned the truck registration number. Deep mining in short time using machinery to escape the attention of the authorities is banned in any form at the beaches anywhere. Beaches are now shut from public thoroughfare in the monsoon. The authorities remained clueless about the incident. Extending all assistance to the authorities, Abdulali mentions, "The present method of mechanical mining is even more serious and requires very urgent action." Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like MarvelGrip: Easy to Use (Check It Out) Marvel Grip Undo by Taboola by Taboola You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Patil said, "Appropriate legal action will be taken." Nagaon circle officer, SK Aage said, "We have no information about the illegal sand dredging." The foundation had made numerous complaints over two decades regarding illegal sand mining rampantly taking place on Alibaug beaches. The activist was attacked at Kihim Beach in 2004 by the sand miners who also attacked a retired government surveyor, Krishna Divekar at the Nandgaon beach under the adjoining Murud taluka in December 2023. The access roads to Kihim beach were sealed and action was taken across the beaches in Alibaug taluka by restricting sand mining using manual dredging methods and transportation through bullock carts around two years ago. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Hindustan Times
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Jal Jeevan Mission contractor dies by suicide over ₹1.40 cr dues from govt
MUMBAI: A thirty-five-year-old government contractor from Walwa tehsil, in Sangli district, who was working for the state government's Jal Jeevan Mission, died by suicide on Wednesday, allegedly as his pending dues of ₹1.40 crore were yet to be cleared by the government. The Sangli-based contractor had gone missing since Tuesday night, and his body was found in his farm on Wednesday. According to Vikram Patil, assistant police inspector from Kurlap police station, Walwa, he died by hanging himself to a branch of a tree. (Representative Image) While farmers' suicides have defined the state's agrarian crisis for over three decades, this is the first time that a government contractor was driven to take his life due to financial distress. (According to state government data, between January and April 2025, 869 farmers died by suicide across Maharashtra.) HT had reported on July 8 how the state's ambitious push to reach clean tap water to every household under the Jal Jeevan Mission had hit a roadblock as the central government had decided to withdraw its grant for the scheme. As a result of this, the state is now bearing the burden of the full cost of all ongoing projects and future works. It comes at a time when the state government is already struggling to clear pending bills worth ₹12,000 crore for completed projects. The ripple effect of paucity of funds in the state's purse has been felt by the government contractors for a year now, leading to protests in several quarters. The total outstanding amount due to contractors is around ₹90,000 crore which includes dues by the Public Works Department (PWD) of around ₹46,000 crore, Jal Jeevan Mission ₹12,000 crore, Rural Development Department ₹8600 crore etc. To add to the woes, the central government has not contributed to the Jal Jeevan Mission fund in Maharashtra since October 2024 – the state government informed this in a written reply to a question regarding Jal Jeevan Mission during the recently concluded monsoon session of the legislature. While raising alarm over pending dues since February 2025, Milind Bhosale, president of the Maharashtra State Contractors' Association and Avinash Patil, former president of Builders Association Of India, said 'the burden of pending bills may drive many contractors to the fate of desperate farmers'. The Sangli-based contractor had gone missing since Tuesday night, and his body was found in his farm on Wednesday. According to Vikram Patil, assistant police inspector from Kurlap police station, Walwa, he died by hanging himself to a branch of a tree. The deceased lived with his wife, a five-year-old daughter, two younger brothers and his parents. Patil said: 'A case of accidental death has been registered in connection with the incident. While no suicide note has been found so far, investigations are on.' 'He was a government contractor who worked on the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme and suffered a financial crisis as his bills of completed work to the tune of ₹1.40 crore were pending with the government. Given the delay, he was compelled to take a loan of around ₹65 lakh from money lenders to run his business,' said Bhosale. 'After the incident, a relative told us that he was under duress. He had shared with his friends that he was sandwiched between money lenders knocking at his door to recover the loan and the government not paying the bills.' He added, 'This has been our fear (for all contractors) for a year. If the government does not take this death seriously, many more individuals may choose this path.' Gulabrao Patil, minister of water supply and sanitation, which runs the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme, said he was yet to receive any report on the contractor's suicide, 'but will inquire about it'. About the funds crunch, Patil said, 'We have sent a proposal to the finance department to release funds to clear the pending dues of contractors. We hope to receive it soon.' Veteran NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, who belongs to Walwa, held the state government responsible for the contractor's death. 'Thousands of contractors like him kept trust in the state government and worked for the scheme. The Mahayuti government awarded contracts for various works to win elections, despite having no funds. This young contractor died by suicide as the governmnet did not pay his bills,' said Patil.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
JSS AHER, Mysuru, partners with Google Research in AI healthcare studies
JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru, has emerged as a key Indian collaborator in pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) research led by Google Research, with the results published in Nature. Vikram Patil led the Indian arm of the study, which evaluated the Articulate Medical Intelligence Explorer (AMIE), an AI tool designed to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient-physician interactions. The research compared AMIE's performance with primary care doctors in text-based consultations across Canada, the UK, and India. JSS AHER played a vital role by designing simulation scenarios relevant to Indian healthcare settings, a press release said. JSS AHER pro-chancellor B. Suresh said that the collaboration demonstrates the institution's commitment to integrating AI in healthcare and academics. Vice-chancellor H. Basavanagowdappa added that these achievements enhance JSS AHER's leadership in AI-driven healthcare solutions while offering students unique opportunities to engage with real-world challenges, the release added.
