VPA bags first prize in ‘Swachhata Pakhwada Awards 2024’

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam Port Authority secured the first prize in the ‘Swachhata Pakhwada Awards 2024’, instituted by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).

The awards were conferred recently in Mumbai by Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal during the ‘One Nation One Port’ programme in the presence of senior dignitaries from the maritime fraternity.

In the 2023 edition, VPA had secured the third position at the national-level and first position among all major ports, a testament to its sustained commitment to the Swachhata mission.

Reinforcing its leadership in environmental stewardship and sustainable port operations, VPA secured the top spot in 2024.

Chairperson of the VPA M Angamuthu received the prestigious award from the Minister.

He was accompanied by senior officials from VPA including T Venu Gopal, secretary, NSRC Murthy, CE Ch Ramprasad, CME and S Usha Devi, CMO.

While receiving the award, Angamuthu, said, “This recognition is a proud moment for team VPA and a testament to our unwavering commitment to Swachhata, green initiatives, and sustainable port development.”

While VPA bagged the first prize, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority (SMPA), Kolkata and Indian Maritime University (IMU) bagged the second and third prizes respectively. The Swachhata Pakhwada Awards are an annual recognition accorded by MoPSW, evaluating ports, maritime institutions and organisations based on their cleanliness drives, waste management systems, green practices, and community engagement initiatives.

The achievement once again positions Visakhapatnam Port as a national leader in sustainable and environmentally responsible port operations, aligning with the government of India’s vision of Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat, and Viksit Bharat@2047.

VPA’s success is attributed to a series of impactful initiatives, including large-scale cleanliness drives, green landscaping across operational zones, plastic waste elimination measures, mechanised dust suppression systems and active public participation campaigns.