Public littering on Visakhapatnam roads to be monitored though CCTVs

On 17 February 2022, the Commissioner of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Dr G Laksmhisha IAS, has visited KRM Colony. The agenda of this tour was to spread the word regarding the Swachh Survekshan 2022, taken up by the GVMC to make the city clean and green. The garbage, which was spilt on the roads of the colony, was cleaned up and flower pots were arranged on both sides of the roads. Further, the Visakhapatnam town planning authorities were instructed to protect the open spaces belonging to GVMC from turning into waste disposal lands and monitor public littering on roads.

On 16 February 2022, the Municipal Commissioner held a review meeting on Swachh Survekshan 2022 at the old conference hall in the GVMC headquarters. Resident Welfare Association (RWA) representatives from various parts of the city have participated in this meeting. The Municipal Commissioner asked the RWA representatives to share their thoughts on the implementation of Swachh Survekshan 2022.

The Municipal Commissioner said that GVMC is looking for valuable inputs and suggestions from the RWA representatives on the implementation of Swachh Survekshan, for urban development. RWA representatives across the city have participated in this meeting. They suggested that the vacant lands with garbage must be cleaned, CCTV cameras

should be set up wherever necessary, and public littering on Visakhapatnam roads should be fined. Further, they added that encroachments on the roadside must be removed along with the shops which were illegally constructed on government lands.

They suggested that the ward secretaries should be instructed to go to every house and educate the residents about hygiene. The practice of usage of cloth bags, over plastic bags, and the production of organic manure should be inculcated by the public. The representatives advised that announcements of implementation and practice of Swachh Survekshan 2022 should be made through loudspeakers, across the city.

Towards the end of the meeting, the GVMC Commissioner thanked the RWA representatives for sharing their suggestions. The meeting was attended by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr KSLG Shastri, public representatives of various service groups, and members of various Non-Government Organisations (NGOs).