Latest news with #MunicipalAdministrationandUrbanDevelopmentDepartment
New Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Andhra government issues guidelines for deputation of officers as municipal commissioners
VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to enhance administrative efficiency in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the State government has issued fresh guidelines for deputing officers from other departments as Municipal Commissioners and Additional Commissioners. According to Government Order (G.O.) Rt. No. 679 issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department on Tuesday, only officers from four departments—Panchayati Raj, Revenue, State Audit, and Andhra Pradesh Secretariat—are now eligible for deputation. The directive, signed by Principal Secretary S Suresh Kumar, follows proposals from the Commissioner & Director of Municipal Administration and representations from the AP Municipal Commissioners' Association. To qualify, officers must have at least five years of service in their parent department, possess a bachelor's degree, clear Accounts Tests for Local Bodies Parts I and II, and have no pending vigilance cases. Deputation will be capped at 10% of total sanctioned posts across Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, and Nagar Panchayats. A mandatory 30-day training program will include exposure to CDMA, DTCP, PH Department, Swachha Andhra Corporation, MEPMA, and on-ground ULB operations. Deputation is temporary, and officers may be repatriated once eligible MAUD cadre officers are posted. Salary and post eligibility will align with the parent department's pay scale. The move aims to balance flexibility with administrative competence.
Hans India
06-07-2025
- Science
- Hans India
Andhra Pradesh set to launch AI-driven mosquito control programme
Andhra Pradesh's Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department is launching a focused "smart mosquito control" programme using deep technology to check vector-borne diseases. The Artificial Intelligence-powered Smart Mosquito Surveillance System (SMoSS) will be launched on a pilot basis at 66 locations in six major municipal corporations in the state, the department announced on Sunday. SMoSS will primarily safeguard public health by curbing the dreaded mosquito menace, and it will also reduce operational burden on civic staff and cut costs of Urban Local Bodies, it said. The programme will be closely and effectively monitored with the help of Internet-of-Things like drones, sensors, heat maps and traps. The pilot will soon be launched at 16 locations in the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, four in Kakinada, five in Rajamahendravaram, 28 in Vijayawada, seven in Nellore, and six in Kurnool. MAUD's Principal Secretary, S. Suresh Kumar, and Director of Municipal Administration, P. Sampath Kumar, recently studied the AI-powered SMoSS, developed by a private agency, to assess its efficacy. AI-powered smart mosquito sensors will be installed in key mosquito-prone zones in the selected urban local bodies as part of the pilot project. These smart sensors will detect the mosquito species, their gender, density, temperature and humidity. SMoSS will trigger automatic alerts when mosquito density crosses a threshold level in any particular area. Data thus generated will be continuously streamed to a central server and visualised on a real-time dashboard. "This will enable close monitoring and ensure prompt fumigation in the affected areas in a data-driven approach for effective control of mosquitoes instead of the present 'blind spraying' process that has little impact. The IoT sensors will monitor mosquito density and guide the targeted activity," an official said. Use of drones for spraying the larvicide would result in an efficient application by covering large areas with less chemical use, time, and cost. Evidence-based spraying, prevention of chemical overuse and promotion of public health safety are the key elements in the whole operation. "We will be outsourcing the operations completely to specialised agencies, and payment will be result-oriented by fixing operational accountability. Complaints, if any, from the citizens and field-level functionaries will be tracked via mobile applications (Vector Control and Puramitra),' they said. A system is also being put in place for reporting daily on cases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya from hospitals. Based on the data, mosquito hotspots will be identified for focused action. Special action plans are being drawn for scheduled fogging and larval treatment in hotspots, the officials added.
New Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
AP awards Rs 62.4 crore legacy waste clearance project to Blue Planet; targets garbage-free state by 2025
VIJAYAWADA: In a significant push toward a garbage-free Andhra, the Swachh Andhra Corporation, in coordination with the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, has awarded legacy waste remediation contracts worth Rs 62.4 crore to Blue Planet Environmental Solutions Pvt. Ltd. The work will be executed by its subsidiary, Zigma Global Environ Solutions, under the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban (SBM-U) 2.0. The initiative targets the removal of over 9.2 lakh metric tons of legacy waste across major urban areas including Chittoor, Tirupati, Anantapur, Gudur, and two large dumpsites under Nellore and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporations. The six-month project involves bio-remediation, bio-mining, and land reclamation, adhering to Central Pollution Control Board guidelines and the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Officials said the project will unlock valuable urban land, enhance air and groundwater quality, and reduce carbon emissions. It is also expected to create significant employment for semi-skilled and unskilled workers, contributing to local economic development. 'This is a crucial step in our goal to make the state free of legacy waste by October 2, 2025,' said a Swachh Andhra Corporation official. Prashant Singh, CEO of Blue Planet, stated, 'Sustainability begins with action. This project goes beyond waste removal—it's about restoring land, uplifting communities, and advancing a circular economy.' Zigma Global Director Ilangovan Thangavelu Kugalur added that the initiative aligns with India's broader vision of environmental restoration and community empowerment.
Hans India
20-06-2025
- General
- Hans India
Arrangements for IYD reviewed by MA&UD officials
Visakhapatnam: Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department S. Suresh Kumar instructed Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation officials to provide necessary arrangements for the 11th International Day of Yoga programme scheduled on June 21. Examining the arrangements made for the IYD here on Thursday, he emphasised that basic amenities must be provided to the public without any disruption. Along with Director of Municipal Administration P Sampath Kumar, GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg, and other GVMC officials, Suresh Kumar visited RK Beach and inspected the main yoga venue and surrounding areas, including The Park Hotel, Tenneti Park, Sagar Nagar (Seethakonda), A1 Grand, Thimmapuram, etc. He reviewed the arrangements for drinking water, public toilets, sanitation, and lighting management. The Principal Secretary directed the officials to ensure cleanliness across the city. He instructed them to provide continuous water supply and maintain toilets clean. Chief Medical Officer Naresh Kumar, Supervising Engineer Krishna Rao and KVN Ravi were present.
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Pendurthi's sewerage project receives administrative sanction for ₹452 crore
The integrated Sewerage Collection and Conveyance System project proposed in the Pendurthi area has received an administrative sanction of ₹452.46 crore from the Andhra Pradesh government. The project, being undertaken by the Greater Visakhapatnam Smart City Corporation Limited (GVSCCL), will have a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). It also includes Recycled Sewage Gravity Flow (RSGF), Tertiary Treatment, and comprehensive Operation and Maintenance (O&M) services for 15 years. In a release, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar said, 'This initiative is a key step towards strengthening urban sanitation infrastructure and ensuring sustainable reuse of treated wastewater in the growing city of Visakhapatnam.' According to the officials, the project aims to establish an underground drainage network serving approximately 12,000 house service connections in Pendurthi. The project is designed to collect, treat, and safely dispose of sewage, with a strong focus on water recycling. The contract was initially awarded to M/s Tata Projects Limited in 2018. Although the project deadline was fixed for April 2021, multiple unforeseen circumstances delayed the project timeline. Now, the project is expected to be completed by July 31, 2025. The project is now nearing completion. The officials said that several technical modifications became necessary during the execution of the project. They include the construction of a fourth aeration tank at the Narava Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), enhancement of the flash mixer feed sump capacity, and dust-filling works along the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) road and in Chinthala Agraharam area. The original administrative sanction for the project was ₹412 crore. However, factors such as interest during construction, escalation in input costs, and the increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 12% to 18% have led to a cost overrun. In light of this, the GVSCCL sought a revised administrative sanction of ₹452.46 crore. After due consideration, the State government has approved the revised sanction, enabling the timely completion and operational readiness of the infrastructure project.
