VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced the launch of Swachhta Awards in Andhra Pradesh, modelled on the national Swachh Bharat Awards, to encourage healthy competition among local bodies and accelerate the vision of ‘Swachh Andhra – Swarna Andhra’. The awards will be independently evaluated to ensure transparency.
In a review held at the Secretariat, Naidu directed officials to organise special recognition events on July 21 in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Tirupati, and Rajamahendravaram—five cities lauded under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Emphasising the reduction of single-use plastic, Naidu instructed officials to involve self-help groups (SHGs) in manufacturing biodegradable bags and make all government offices plastic-free. The Chief Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a circular, zero-waste economy driven by sustainable innovation.
Swachhandhra Corporation Chairman Kommareddy Pattabhiram presented a pilot Swachh Ratham project from Lalpuram, Guntur, where residents receive utility goods in exchange for dry waste. Naidu asked for a detailed report to scale it statewide.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Municipal Minister Ponguru Narayana announced eight new waste-to-energy plants across Andhra Pradesh, aiming to process 6,000 tons of the 6,500 tons of daily waste.
Plants in Nellore and Kakinada are in the final stages, while new units are planned in Vijayawada and Tirupati. Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) units will also be set up in rural areas, he added.