GUNTUR: The efforts of Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) to achieve better rank in Swachh Survekshan 2023 proved fruitful as the city raced from 108th rank in the last edition to 17th rank this year.Along with this, the GMC has also secured a five-star rated second position in the Fast Moving City category nationally. Minister for Municipal Administration Adimulapu Suresh, Mayor Kavati Naga Manohar Naidu, GMC Commissioner Kirthi Chekuri received the awards from the Union Minister for Housing and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri at Swachh Survekshan 2023 Awards programme held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Thursday.
Aiming to achieve a better rank, under the instructions of GMC Mayor Kavati Manohar Naidu, and civic chief Kirthi Chekuri, the officials implemented a special action plan and after conducting several awareness programmes and strict inspections.The GMC officials have implemented the three-bin system effectively and achieved 100 per cent door-to-door waste collection.
The civic body left no step unturned and won first ranks in various campaigns and programmes, including Swachta Ki Do Rang, national third rank in Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2023, and in top position in Mega Selfie Camp as part of Indian Swachh League 2.0, which helped the city to secure better ranking and listed as fourth cleanest city in AP after Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Tirupati.
The civic body initiated various programmes, including the Swachta Awards to hold all stakeholders and encourage them to achieve Clean Guntur. GMC has partnered with as many as 358 schools in the city to educate students on the importance of sanitation so that they can play a significant role in implementing them in their homes and educating their parents on solid waste management. Also, as a result of several plantation programmes taken up by the civic body, the greenery in the city increased to 30% which was only 17% in 2021.While the plants in central medians were only 10 km in the past, it increased to 23 km and the avenue plantation was increased from 20 km to 30 km in the year 2023.