Latest news with #SwarnaAndhra
The Hindu
19-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
VMC Commissioner calls for stricter ban on single-use plastic
Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) Commissioner Dhyanachandra H.M. on Saturday said that it is a matter of pride that Vijayawada secured fourth place in the 10 lakh+ population category as the Swachh Super League city, out of 4,589 cities that participated in the Swachh Survekshan-2024 survey. Speaking at 'Swachh Andhra – Swarna Andhra' programme in Satyanarayanapuram on Saturday (July 19), he said that the award belongs to people, sanitation workers, officials who contributed to maintain cleanliness in the city. He also called for a ban on single-use plastics of less than 120 microns. 'Starting from government offices, schools, colleges, a mandatory plastic ban should be implemented with the cooperation of the people and business organisations. There should also be awareness among people about ill-effects of plastic,' he said. Explaining the effects of single-use plastic, the Commissioner said that it causes health problems for not only human beings but also for aquatic animals. It takes about 400 years for a plastic cover to decompose. He encouraged people to use jute or cloth bags instead. About 1,170 kg of seized plastic was displayed during the programme. Fines have been introduced for a stricter implementation of the ban, the Commissioner said. Later, the Commissioner handed over cloth bags to those who gave away plastic at a counter specially set up for this programme. Later, school students participated in a rally to plant saplings to reduce pollution and create awareness among the people about the ban on single-use plastic. Meanwhile, at a press conference, Mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi lauded the efforts of people and sanitation workers in getting an award for the city. She said that it was a first time that the city received an award in the category of cities having population of more than 10 lakh. The first three spots went to Indore, Surat and Navi Mumbai, and Vijayawada has secured the fourth, she said, expressing happiness. Ms. Bhagyalakshmi recalled that this is the second time, first being in 2021, that she received an award from the President. The city has also received an award in the 'Garbage Free City' category. Deputy Mayor Bellam Durga, Sailaja Reddy and YSRCP Floor Leader Venkata Satyanarayana were also present at the press meeting.
The Hindu
19-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Shun plastic and use eco-friendly products, urges Collector
District Collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad on Saturday urged the citizens to strictly avoid plastic items and only use eco-friendly alternatives to protect the environment. He also stressed on the need for collective efforts to fight against plastic ban. The Collector attended 'Swachh Andhra-Swarna Andhra' programme organised by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) at the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (RRR) centre at Yendada Junction. Speaking at the programme, Mr. Prasad said that the government has been organising 'Swachh Andhra - Swarna Andhra' programmes across the State every third Saturday of the month to raise awareness on cleanliness. He called on citizens to support this cause in large numbers by not using single-use plastics and switch to environment-friendly alternatives. 'Single-use plastic waste often clogs drains and water bodies, leading to serious health risks during the rainy season. Sanitation workers risk their lives to remove plastic waste from drains every day. Plastics entering the ocean are consumed by fish, which eventually enter human consumption and may lead to severe diseases such as cancer,' he said. He urged the public to use alternatives like paper, cloth, jute bags, steel and glass utensils, ceramic plates and cups, and reusable water bottles. He also administered a 'Swachh Andhra Pledge' against plastic and released an awareness poster titled 'Let's End Plastic Pollution Together'. Corporator Lodagala Apparao, GVMC Additional Commissioner D.V. Ramana Murthy, Chief Medical Officer Dr. E.N.V. Naresh Kumar and others attended. Sanitation workers and NGO representatives who contributed significantly helping the city win 'Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher' award were felicitated. He later visited various stalls showcasing eco-friendly alternatives and applauded their efforts.
The Hindu
19-07-2025
- The Hindu
Chittoor District Collector and police launch campaigns to eliminate single-use plastic
Chittoor District Collector Sumit Kumar on Saturday reaffirmed the administration's commitment to eliminating single-use plastic, calling it a crucial step toward environmental sustainability. Speaking at the Swachh Andhra – Swarna Andhra meeting held at the Collectorate, Mr. Sumit Kumar emphasised the need to eradicate plastic usage and urged collective public action. 'Eradication of single-use plastic is not impossible if the public cooperates with the officials. Everyone should carry a jute bag. Eco-friendly alternatives should be adopted by vendors, large retail outlets, and petty traders,' he said. He appealed to vendors, traders, consumers, and commercial establishments to switch to sustainable options like jute and cloth bags, and give up plastic carry bags. The Collector also administered a pledge to this effect to the Collectorate staff and members of the public attending the event. In a parallel effort, the Chittoor police launched the Swachh Andhra – Swachhta Divas campaign at various junctions across Chittoor city. Superintendent of Police V.N. Manikantha Chandolu supervised the cleanliness drives, reinforcing the district's commitment to a cleaner and greener environment.
Hans India
19-07-2025
- Hans India
Reduce use of single-use plastic: Collector
Kurnool: DistrictCollector P Ranjit Basha has directed officials to intensify efforts to eliminate plastic pollution as part of the 'Swachh Andhra – Swarna Andhra' campaign scheduled on July 19, which will be conducted with the theme of eradicating plastic waste. He instructed all departments to reduce the use of single-use plastics and raise awareness among the public about the environmental damage caused by plastic, including air and water pollution. During a video-conference with divisional and mandal-level officers on Friday, he emphasised strengthening door-to-door garbage collection, repairing or replacing tricycles for waste collection and ensuring comprehensive sanitation in all areas. The Collector reviewed several key initiatives, including P4 policy implementation, ‚Talliki Vandanam', housing schemes, employment guarantee programmes, and adoption of 'Bangaru Kutumbalu' (golden families) under the Swarna Andhra mission. He stressed the importance of identifying eligible Bangaru families, assigning mentors to guide them, and completing household surveys to assess their needs from July 21 to August 5. All pending adoptions must be completed by July 31. Collector Basha specifically urged officials to finalise the adoption process in all mandals and ensure timely support for these families. Addressing housing targets, the Collector stated that of the 11,706 houses planned, 7,964 have been completed, with 3,742 still pending. He called for focused attention from divisional officials in Adoni, Pattikonda and Kurnool to speed up construction. Notices will be served to contractors delaying work under Option 3. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace in Yemmiganur mandal and directed that show-cause notices be issued to negligent engineers. In sub-divisions like Mantralayam, Alur, and Pattikonda, he instructed the Housing PD to seek explanations from officers lagging in progress. On the 'Talliki Vandhanam' grievance redressal, the Collector noted that many complaints pertain to land ownership, false asset declarations, and high electricity bills. He directed tahsildars in Kurnool Urban, Rural, and Kallur to clear all 700 pending land-related applications within three days. For grievances related to four-wheeler eligibility (301 pending) and income tax, prompt action was also ordered. Highlighting the monsoon season, he called for a boost in horticulture plantations under the employment guarantee scheme and completion of pending farm ponds. In response to negative IVRS feedback from sanitation drives in Dooddi (Kosigi mandal) and Beldona (Chippagiri mandal), action was sought against the respective panchayat secretaries. Officials present in the video-conference included DRO C Venkatanarayanamma, CPO Hima Prabhakar Raju, ZP CEO Nasar Reddy, Housing PD Chiranjeevi, DWAMA PD Venkataramanayya and DEO Samuel Paul.
Hans India
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
CM's Tirupati visit today to blend governance with spirituality
Tirupati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will visit Tirupati on Saturday with a packed itinerary combining governance, cleanliness initiatives, and a spiritual sojourn. Apart from participating in the 'Praja Vedika' programme and visiting the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati's (MCT) waste management plant at Thukivakam, the Chief Minister will also visit prominent spiritual sites in the temple town. As part of his spiritual engagements, Naidu will offer prayers at Kapileswara Swamy temple at Kapilatheertham. He will also visit the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham's Maha Paduka Mandapam near Alipiri, where he will have darshan of the Kanchi Acharyas who are currently observing the 'Chaturmasya Deeksha'. The Chief Minister will interact with the Acharyas during his visit. At Kapilatheertham, the Chief Minister will also interact with stakeholders under the Swachh Andhra – Swarna Andhra programme and take part in the cleanliness drive which is organised every third Saturday of the month. Naidu will arrive at Tirupati Airport at 11 am on a day-long visit. He will first proceed to Thukivakam village to visit the MCT's integrated waste processing unit, where he will inspect various facilities including the material recycling facility, construction and demolition (C&D) waste processing plant, and the bio-methanation plant. Post his visit to Kapilatheertham, the CM will head to the Police Parade Grounds, where he will participate in the 'Praja Vedika' programme, being held under the 'First Step in Good Governance' initiative. Later, after the interaction with the Kanchi Acharyas, the Chief Minister is scheduled to return to Tirupati Airport and depart for Vijayawada at 5.10 pm. Ahead of the Chief Minister's visit, District Collector Dr S Venkateswar reviewed the arrangements and directed officials to ensure foolproof security and smooth conduct of all programmes. The collector, along with CM's programme coordinator Pendurthi Venkatesh, city MLA Arani Srinivasulu, SP V Harshavardhan Raju, and municipal commissioner N Mourya, monitored the security arrangements at Thukivakam waste management plant, Alipiri, and the Police Parade Grounds. The collector stressed that there should be no lapses in security arrangements during the Chief Minister's visit. He instructed the officials assigned to duties to ensure that all arrangements are made with precision and without any negligence.
