A.P. on track to be garbage-free, says MA&UD Minister
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Ponguru Narayana on Wednesday said Andhra Pradesh is moving towards becoming a garbage-free state with the establishment of eight waste-to-energy recycling plants.
Speaking on the sidelines of a review meeting at the Nellore Municipal Corporation, the Minister said two such plants are already operational in Visakhapatnam and Guntur. Four more plants have been approved at Nellore, Kakinada, Kadapa, and Kurnool, while two additional units will be set up at Vijayawada and Tirupati.
He said the previous YSRCP government had left behind more than 85 lakh tonnes of accumulated garbage, which the present coalition government cleared two weeks ahead of the October 2 deadline. “The State will become garbage-free once the remaining 30 lakh tonnes of waste at dump yards are cleared,” he said.
Mr. Narayana said Andhra Pradesh generates around 7,500 tonnes of solid waste every day, which will be converted into electricity through the waste-to-energy plants. He added that companies such as Jindal Urban Infrastructure Limited and Antony Lara Renewable Energy Private Limited would invest between ₹350 crore and ₹400 crore to set up each plant.
On measures to prevent flooding in Nellore, the Minister said the government had sanctioned ₹50 crore for canal repairs. Under a revised plan prepared by the municipal corporation, only about 20 per cent of people living along encroached canals would be affected, he said.
Referring to the anti-encroachment drive, Mr. Narayana said alternative housing options, including TIDCO houses, would be provided to poor families. He alleged that some people were spreading false information on the issue for political gain.
The Minister also distributed Chief Minister’s Relief Fund cheques amounting to ₹22.42 lakh to 29 beneficiaries.