VIJAYAWADA: Municipal Administration Minister Ponguru Narayana on Friday said the state government would ensure the supply of clean drinking water to every household in Andhra Pradesh in three years’ time.
Narayana said, “Achieving cent per cent Swachh Andhra will be possible only with greater public awareness and active citizen participation in maintaining cleanliness.”
The minister was addressing the oath-taking ceremony of newly-appointed Swachh Andhra Corporation directors at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram at Vijayawada on Friday. He said chief minister Naidu has placed top priority on providing essential services like safe water, solid and liquid waste management, roads and lighting to every corporation, municipality and panchayat.
Narayana recalled that the CM had directed the removal of 85 lakh tonnes of garbage left behind by the previous government, by October 2. “Though such a task normally takes two to three years, 81 lakh tonnes have already been cleared with the support of the corporation’s management. The remaining waste will be removed within 20 days to meet the Gandhi Jayanti deadline.”
The minister said the state is adopting best global practices in waste management, noting how Japan, Russia and China have set examples. Waste-to-energy plants are being developed in large cities to replace dumping yards and convert trash into electricity.
He also announced that tenders under the AMRUT scheme would be invited soon and urged the new directors to focus on waste management, wealth creation from waste and spreading awareness.
Swachh Andhra Corporation chairman Kommareddy Pattabhiram lauded the government for scrapping the waste tax and placing five cities of Andhra Pradesh among the cleanest in the country. Swachh Andhra Corporation managing director Anil Kumar Reddy said clean-up drives would be held across the state from Sept 17 to Oct 2 as part of the national Swachhta Hi Seva campaign.
Fourteen new directors of Swachh Andhra were sworn in at the ceremony and felicitated by the minister.
