Rajamahendravaram: The Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (RMC) has secured the 19th rank at the national level and 2nd rank in Andhra Pradesh under the category of cities with a population between 3 to 10 lakh in the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 Awards.

The award was presented by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday. East Godavari district collector and Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation Commissioner (Full Additional Charge) Dr P Prasanthi received the award on behalf of the city. RMC Additional Commissioner PV Ramalingeswar, MHO Vinutna also accompanied.

Speaking to ‘The Hans India’ on the occasion, Dr Prasanthi termed the recognition a major milestone in the city’s urban development journey. She attributed the achievement to innovative sanitation initiatives, the adoption of smart technology, efficient door-to-door garbage collection, recycling efforts, and the active participation of sanitation workers and citizens.

She noted that Rajamahendravaram has around 1,12,780 households generating approximately 160 tonnes of waste daily. The city has been processing wet waste into organic compost. Over 1,400 sanitation workers and a fleet of 182 vehicles are engaged in a streamlined door-to-door waste collection system, she added. Prasanthi expressed hope that with continued public cooperation, the city would achieve even better rankings in the future. She noted that Rajamahendravaram had previously ranked 54th, and the leap to 19th reflects significant progress in urban cleanliness and citizen involvement.