VIJAYAWADA: Krishna district incharge collector M Naveen on Wednesday has called upon the citizens to become “Swachh Soldiers” and actively participate in maintaining cleanliness to safeguard public health and build a healthier society.
He participated in the Swachh Survekshan cleanliness drive held on Wednesday at Gadi Reddy Street in the 44th Division near Dr. Mallikarjuna Rao Hospital in the city.
On the occasion, the collector personally took part in the cleaning activity along with the Municipal Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, sanitation workers, and volunteers, removing heaps of garbage and clearing the surroundings.
Later, he directed municipal officials to deploy a JCB machine to remove accumulated soil and debris from the area and to develop the spot into a green zone by planting saplings so that garbage would not be dumped there again.
Speaking to media representatives, Naveen said that the administration had identified several “black spots” across the city where garbage had accumulated for months along roadsides, junctions, and drains.
These locations were being cleaned and transformed into “green spots” to prevent further dumping of waste.
He appreciated members of the local Manavatha voluntary organisation for coming forward as Swachh Soldiers and joining the campaign.
He urged residents to bring about a change in civic behaviour and refrain from dumping waste into drains or on roadsides.
The collector warned that indiscriminate dumping of garbage was not only harming the environment but also posing serious health risks to the public. He advised households to segregate waste into wet and dry categories and hand it over to sanitation workers when the municipal waste collection vehicle visits their locality.