Amaravati: The second day of the District Collectors' Conference in Amaravati focused on one of the state's most critical missions: building a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Andhra Pradesh. The session on 'Swachh Andhra, Swachh Bharat & Circular Economy', featured a comprehensive presentation by S Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration & Urban Development.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the performance of multiple departments, including the Swachh Andhra Corporation, Panchayati Raj & Rural Development, Municipal and Urban Development, Pollution Control Board, and the Forest Department.
Suresh Kumar outlined the government's comprehensive urban development and waste management strategy, emphasizing that Andhra Pradesh is committed to becoming a national leader in sanitation and circular economy practices.
He recalled the state's achievements in the Swachh Survekshan 2024 rankings, calling it a testament to the ongoing efforts in cleanliness, waste segregation, and sustainable urban development.
As part of a time-bound mission, the government has set an ambitious target to clear 85.90 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste by October 2, 2025, and an additional 30 lakh metric tonnes by December 2025. The reclaimed land will be repurposed, with recovered soil converted into compost, and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) supplied to cement factories for co-processing.
To support decentralised waste management, the state is implementing 72 integrated solid waste management (ISWM) clusters, 417 material recovery facilities (MRFs) in rural areas and 108 urban ISWM projects.
Suresh Kumar also announced that land acquisition is in progress for 142 sewage treatment plants (STPs), requiring 199 acres. These plants will play a key role in recycling wastewater, enabling its reuse for non-potable applications in an environmentally sustainable manner.
In a major step towards sustainability, the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat was declared a single-use plastic (SUP)-free facility on August 15, 2025. Kumar confirmed that all district collectorates and government offices have been instructed to achieve SUP-free status by December 2025, setting a benchmark for environmental responsibility in governance.