AP Launches Statewide ‘Operation Clean Sweep’ Sanitation Drive

Vijayawada, Nellore: The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday launched “Operation Clean Sweep”, a four-week statewide sanitation campaign aimed at transforming urban local bodies into clean and dump yard-free municipalities through public participation and coordinated civic action.

Municipal administration minister P. Narayana formally launched the programme at Kurmayya Bridge on Sambamurthy Road near Vijayawada railway station along with Vijayawada MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, Swachhandhra Corporation chairman K. Pattabhiram and senior officials.

The campaign is being implemented in 123 municipalities across the state from May 22 to June 20 under the Swarna Andhra–Swachh Andhra initiative.

After inaugurating the drive by releasing balloons, the minister joined sanitation workers in sweeping roads, painting dividers and planting saplings. He later interacted with citizens at an Anna Canteen.

Narayana said the campaign was aimed at creating public awareness on sanitation and cleanliness. The first week would focus on cleaning roads and public places, the second week on drain cleaning, the third week on segregation of wet and dry waste at homes and commercial establishments, and the final week on maintenance of public toilets.

He said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had launched the Swachhandhra initiative at Machilipatnam on October 2, 2024, with a focus on people’s participation and had been personally reviewing the programme across districts.

The minister said around 85 lakh tonnes of above-ground legacy waste out of nearly 153 lakh tonnes had been cleared within a year and the remaining underground waste would be removed by the end of June.

He added that waste-to-energy plants were already functioning in Visakhapatnam and Guntur, while six more plants were under construction. Tenders had also been invited for waste processing facilities in 123 municipalities.

Meanwhile, sanitation drives were conducted across SPSR Nellore, Prakasam and Markapuram districts.

In Nellore, district collector Himanshu Shukla and mayor Sujatha participated in the drive at A.C. Subba Reddy Stadium and appealed to citizens to actively participate in maintaining urban cleanliness.

In Markapuram, district collector M. Vijaya Sunitha and MLA Kandula Narayana Reddy participated in sanitation activities in the Seven Hills area and urged people to dispose of waste only at designated places.

In Ongole, district collector P. Rajababu and Santhanuthalapadu MLA B.N. Vijay Kumar led sanitation awareness activities from the Collectorate to Nellore Bus Stand.

Swachhandhra Corporation chairman Pattabhiram said Andhra Pradesh had won five awards in last year’s Swachh Survekshan rankings and efforts were under way to secure better results this year.

Municipal Administration principal secretary Suresh Kumar urged citizens to cooperate with sanitation workers and share responsibility for keeping urban areas clean.