Vizag tops national ‘Swachh Survekshan’ rankings

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh has strengthened its position in the national cleanliness rankings by winning six awards in this year’s Swachh Survekshan, while Visakhapatnam secured the first rank nationally among cities with a population of over one million, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayana said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference at the CII Partnership Summit venue, along with Municipal Administration Department Secretary M Suresh Kumar and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ketan Garg, the Minister described the achievement as a matter of pride for the State. He said Andhra Pradesh had won six of the 60 awards announced across the country this year, despite a reduction in the total number of awards compared with the previous year.

Last year, the country announced 79 awards, of which the State secured five. Winning six awards this year, therefore, reflected the sustained efforts of urban local bodies, he added. Narayana congratulated the Visakhapatnam Municipal Commissioner, municipal staff, Mayor, corporators, officials of the concerned departments and representatives of the Swachha Andhra Corporation for their contribution to the city’s achievement.

He explained that the national awards covered several special categories, including hill stations and riverfront cities, with separate competitions conducted for them. Of the 24 award categories relevant to Andhra Pradesh’s 123 municipalities, the State secured six awards, registering a success rate of 25 per cent.

The Minister said the government had set an ambitious target of securing 50 per cent of the awards in the next Swachh Survekshan. Achieving this goal would require stronger public participation, collective responsibility and sustained efforts by municipal bodies, officials and citizens, he stressed. He called upon people to actively participate in maintaining cleanliness and improving sanitation standards across urban areas.

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The Hans India