https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A New Life for Captain Simpson’s Pond

Indian Masterminds Stories

In 1857, the year of India’s first war of Independence, a British officer known as Captain J Simpson got a pond constructed in the Hazaribagh district of Bihar (now in Jharkhand). With the passage of decades, both Simpson and the pond slipped into the forgotten pages of history. Until the 2015-batch IAS officer currently posted in Hazaribagh, Ms Vijay Jadhav gave one hard look at the decaying and forlorn water body and decided it was worth a resurrection.

AN ALMOST DEAD POND IS BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE

For several decades after Simpson’s decades, the pond remained a major tourist destination of the region. People would come here from near and far, marveling at its beauty. And then, it fell into the hands of meat vendors.

Ms Jadhav was apparently aghast at the brutality carried out on this piece of history. She found that the meat vendors had been using the pond as a dumping ground. With the result that the colour of its water changed, what with all the waste and blood from the butchers’ shops reaching here endlessly all these years.

Ms. Jadhav is currently the Director of Urban Development & housing department, Jharkhand

Determined to give new life to the pond, Ms. Jadhav took this project in her hands. After a cleansing process which went on for many months, the pond was restored to its pristine glory. The squatters too were booted out. Ms Jadhav did not stop here. An amusement park and cafeteria has also been constructed within the boundary of this pond. With flowers, trees and beautifully constructed siting areas now adorning the place, this pond is fast regaining its lost popularity among the people. The name of pond and park has been now changed as Zila Parishad Park after the opposition of people there.

Hailing from Pune in Maharashtra, Ms Jadhav is a Jharkhand cadre officer. She got her first independent posting as SDM Giridih, where she controlled several illegal activities, including those carried out by sand mafias.

During the lockdown Ms Jadhav set up a community kitchen to help the needy in Hazaribagh. Every day, she could be seen there chopping vegetables or making chapatis for the poor. Around 40,000 packets of food were distributed from this kitchen during the lockdown period. 

Ms. Vijaya Jadhav is an IAS of Jharkhand cadre and 2015 batch

CHANGING THE FACE OF GIRIDIH

Ms. Jadhav came to Giridih, Jharkhand as SDM in 2017. The district is one of most backward in India. Due to the lack of infrastructure and a robust system, it become the den of many illegal activities. In November 2017, Ms. Jadhav suddenly visited a bank of the river used for sand mining. This activity of hers put the mafias in shock. Straightway, she seized around 40 trucks of sands which were overloaded and being send to Bihar without proper permission. 

She also took strict action against all the people associated with this crime. 

In the similar way, Ms Jadhav she raided other illegal business involved in selling firecrackers as well as cow-slaughters. With her fearless attitude and demonstration of no-nonsense approach, the criminals in Giridih promptly fell in line. Also observed was a marked decrease in the incidents of corruption in the Government departments there. 

In Hazaribagh, Ms Jadhav was posted as the Deputy Development Commissioner. At present, she is with the Urban Development & Housing Department of Jharkhand Governor. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
Related Stories
NEWS
BEL Bharat Electronics Limited
BEL Secures Major Maintenance Contract from Indian Air Force for Akash Missile System
MDL_Mazagaon_ltd
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Celebrates Keel-Laying Ceremony for New International Shipbuilding Project
IAS
IAS Chandni Singh Appointed as Private Secy to Union Women & Child Development Minister
Kerala_govt_resized
2 Kerala State Civil Service Officers Elevated to Indian Administrative Service
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services (IAS)
Karnataka IAS Officer KG Jagadeesha Repatriated to Parent Cadre
Vipul Aggarwal IPS
Central Deputation of IPS Officer Vipul Aggarwal Extended for Two Years
Maharashtra govt-logo
7 IAS Officers Reshuffled in Maharashtra, Nishi Pandey Made MD, Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation
IPS logo resized
Tenure of IPS Rajiv Ranjan Bhagat Extended in SPG; IPS Shalin Cleared for Central Deputation
Videos
Padmapani Bora IRS
The Rise of Assam as India’s Most Exciting Tourist Spot | Exclusive with IRS Padmapani Bora
Sajjan Yadav, IAS
The Policy Maker Who Turned India’s Vaccine Story and UPSC Struggles into Bestsellers
WhatsApp Image 2025-03-21 at 14.33
Training The Cops In Mastering The Technology Used By Criminals
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
BEL Bharat Electronics Limited
BEL Secures Major Maintenance Contract from Indian Air Force for Akash Missile System
MDL_Mazagaon_ltd
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Celebrates Keel-Laying Ceremony for New International Shipbuilding Project
Videos
Padmapani Bora IRS
Sajjan Yadav, IAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-03-21 at 14.33
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT