Telangana has been declared as one of the top two performing States and a winner in as many as 12 categories at the national-level sanitation challenges and competitions in ‘Swachh Survekshan’ garbage free city ranking (Aug. 20-May 21), Safaimitra Suraksha challenge (Nov. 20-Aug. 21) for overall sanitation improvement, enhanced citizen awareness and engagement towards waste management from among 4,300 cities and towns in the country conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration N. Satyanarayana informed on Friday that the State has been declared as among the top two States for ‘Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge’ with the winner to be announced during the prize distribution ceremony to be held in New Delhi on Nov. 20, ‘World Toilet Day’, when the ranks will be revealed in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind.
Karimnagar Municipal Corporation has bagged an award among top three in the same category for urban local bodies below three lakh population. There is a prize money of ₹8 crore for first prize, ₹4 crore for second prize and ₹2 crore for the third prize for the first time in this category, he said.
GHMC has been declared as winner under Swachh Survekshan-2021 and Garbage Free City Rating-2021.
Other winners under the Swachh Survekshan category are - Siricilla Municipality, Siddipet Municipality, Nizampet Municipal Corporation, Ibrahimatnam Municipality, Ghatkesar Municipality, Kosgi Municipality, Husnabad Municipality and Secunderabad Cantonment.
Mr. Satyanaraya informed that in the last two years and following ‘Pattana Pragati Programme’ (PPP), Telangana got Open Defecation Free (ODF) status for 110 out of 139 municipalities/municipal corporations.
It has been the front-runner in planning and establishing Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs) with 12 completed, fifteen in finishing stage, 46 works in progress and six under tender process, to help in preventing pollution of water bodies.
Also, 9,088 public toilets and 1.57 lakh individual toilets were constructed with 4,842 swachh autos distributed for garbage collection.
“These awards are a proud moment and a demonstration of the results and impact of ‘PPP’ on the ground. With the spirit of this achievement, we will strive more towards achieving ‘Swachh Telangana’ through scientific collection, transportation and treatment of solid and liquid waste, faecal sludge and promoting workers well-being in all ULBs,” added the DMA, also the MD of Swachh Bharat Mission Urban, Telangana.
