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Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Vizag slips from 4th to 9th in Swachh Survekshan ranking
Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam's ranking in the latest Swachh Survekshan 2024 has fallen to 9th place among 40 cities with million-plus population, down from 4th over the past two years. This decline is attributed to factors such as reducesd door-to-door waste collection and a drop in source segregation levels to 81%. Despite the slip, Visakhapatnam maintained a strong overall score of 11,636 out of 12,500. Within the core SS2024 component worth 10,000 marks, the city scored 9,336—placing it 8th among the top 10 cities. In the garbage-free cities (GFC) category, worth 1,300 marks, Visakhapatnam earned 1,100 marks — tying with Pune and Agra but falling 200 marks short of the highest scorers. The city performed exceptionally well in the open defecation-free segment, earning full marks of 1,200, in line with its top-tier peers. Although Visakhapatnam trails Pune by 57 marks and Hyderabad by just 14 in the SS2024 component, its 200-mark shortfall in the GFC category—equivalent to missing 2–3 mid-weight indicators such as stormwater drain cleanliness—highlights specific areas for improvement. This year saw the introduction of new 'Super Swachh League' to recognise cities with consistent top-tier performance. To qualify, cities must have ranked in the top three at least once in the past three years and be among the top 20% of their category in the current year. Four cities have been recognised as Super Swachh League cities. Vijayawada made the cut among these four cities with populations over 10 lakh, while Visakhapatnam would stand at 13th if these league cities were included in the overall rankings. The Swachh Survekshan 2024 (SS2024) toolkit allocates a total of 10,000 marks across ten key performance areas: visible cleanliness (1,500 marks), segregation, collection & transportation (1,000), solid waste management (1,500), access to sanitation (1,000), used water management (1,000), mechanisation of desludging services (500), advocacy for Swachhta (1,500), ecosystem strengthening & institutional capacity (1,000), welfare of sanitation workers (500), and citizen feedback & grievance redressal (500). According to experts, to improve its standing, Visakhapatnam should focus on enhancing door-to-door segregated waste collection to align with higher-scoring peers, expanding solid waste processing capacity, and accelerating landfill remediation. Increasing the fleet and frequency of mechanised desludging services could help secure full 500 marks in that area. To maximise scores in advocacy and feedback, the city should utilise school-based assessments, run awareness campaigns at tourist spots, and strengthen digital citizen engagement platforms. A major highlight for Visakhapatnam was winning Rank 1 in the Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar category. GVMC mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao described it as a proud moment and dedicated the achievement to sanitation workers, citizens, GVMC staff, public representatives, and partner organisations. Commissioner Ketan Garg also expressed pride in the recognition, crediting citizen participation and the dedication of the GVMC workforce.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
GVMC bags first rank in ‘Safai Mitra Surakshit Shehar'
Visakhapatnam: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) bagged the much-coveted national-level Swachh award under Swachh Survekshan 2024. As part of the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0., GVMC secured the top place in the special category of 'Safai Mitra Surakshit Shehar' for its outstanding commitment to the safety and dignity of sanitation workers. The award was presented by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal to AP Municipal Administration Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar, Mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao and GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg at the Swachh Survekshan 2024 awards presentation ceremony held in New Delhi on Thursday. Expressing pride in securing the first position in the 'Safai Mitra Surakshit Shehar' category, Mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao termed it as a matter of great honour for the city of Visakhapatnam and GVMC. He attributed credit to the safai workers, citizens, public representatives, corporators, Swachh Visakha ambassadors, residents' welfare associations, NGOs, and corporation officials and staff who contributed to the achievement. He congratulated GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg and called for his continued efforts to make Visakhapatnam the cleanest city in the ensuing 'Swachh Survekshan 2025' as well. GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg said Visakhapatnam has consistently maintained its image as one of the cleanest cities in the country, and this award is a result of citizen participation, efforts of the municipal workforce, and support from public representatives.
Hans India
17-07-2025
- General
- Hans India
GVMC focuses on making Vizag coastline more attractive
Visakhapatnam: Underlining that Visakhapatnam city is symbolic of a beautiful beach coastline and Blue Flag certified beaches, GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg instructed engineering and public health officials to take up further measures to improve the beach stretches. He directed the officials concerned to ensure that waste does not enter the beach through drains during rains. On Tuesday, the Commissioner along with chief medical officer ENV Naresh Kumar, zonal commissioner K. Shiva Prasad, and supervising engineer PVV Satyanarayana Raju inspected the entire stretch of RK Beach. During the inspection, the Commissioner emphasised that the beach area, being an icon of Visakhapatnam with its Blue Flag status, should be made even more attractive and eco-friendly by maintaining cleanliness along the stretches. He noted that during rains, waste and sewage were flowing into the beach through road openings and drains, especially near Pandurangapuram, and YMCA beach areas. He directed the officials to prepare detailed proposals to construct a channel along the beach to prevent such contamination. Observing that the sewage pump house near Pandurangapuram beach was not functioning for the past few days, he said that proposals should be made with immediate effect for the repairs so that sewage gets diverted to the treatment plant and only treated water enters the sea. Also, the need to replace existing meshes in the drains with stronger ones to stop waste getting into the beach was stressed. The Commissioner instructed sanitary inspector Govind Rao to educate sanitation workers and encouraged them to improve their working methods. Reviewing the performance of the mini sweeping machine cleaning the footpath along the beach, the Commissioner said that the functioning of the machines have to be thoroughly monitored. In Visakhapatnam, there are approximately 20 points along the beach stretches where untreated sewage gets into the sea directly.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
GVMC launches AI-based traffic system pilot
Visakhapatnam: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) launhed of a pilot initiative titled "Project SARTHI" (systematic augmented radial traffic & hoop induction), aimed at implementing an AI-based integrated traffic management system in Visakhapatnam. GVMC commissioner Kethan Garg said that this pilot project is being carried out in collaboration with the traffic police wing and involves the deployment of advanced technologies such as automatic number plate recognition, red light violation detection systems, and facial recognition systems. Five companies have been engaged to operate the system across five designated traffic stretches in the city. Brihaspathi Technologies from Hyderabad is managing the Akkayyapalem junction and Sampath Vinayaka temple area; Meta Fusion Technologies from Noida is handling Urvashi junction and Dwarka RTC complex area; Data Corp from Bengaluru is overseeing the R&B junction and the passport office at R&B NEC from Noida is managing Gopalapatnam petrol bunk junction and Simhachalam RTC complex; and CMS Computers Limited from Mumbai is handling Yendada Junction and the area around VIMS hospital, Old Dairy Farm. The pilot will run for one month, after which the most effective model will be selected for city-wide implementation. GVMC commissioner Ketan Garg added that the project's objective is to streamline vehicular traffic, reduce accidents and violations, and align with the broader vision of a smart, technology-driven city.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- The Hindu
GVMC launches AI-based ‘Project SARTHI' for smart traffic management in Visakhapatnam
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner Ketan Garg on Tuesday announced the launch of 'Project SARTHI' (Systematic Augmented Radial Traffic & Hoop Induction), a pilot initiative to implement an AI-based Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) in the city. The project, being implemented in coordination with the Traffic Police Department, involves five IT companies working across selected city stretches. It includes Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), Red Light Violation Detection (RLVD), and Facial Recognition Systems (FRS). ANPR and RLVD systems are being tested at Akkayyapalem, Urvasi, R&B, Gopalapatnam, and Yendada Junctions, while FRS is being piloted at Sampath Vinayaka Temple, Dwaraka RTC Complex, Passport Office-R&B, Simhachalam RTC Complex, and VIMS Hospital area. The Commissioner said the objective is to ensure smooth vehicular movement, reduce accidents and traffic violations, and align with smart city goals. The pilot will run for a month, following which the most effective model will be scaled up across the city. Garbage collection In a separate review meeting with Public Health Officials, Mr. Garg instructed them to personally inspect sanitation work every morning. He emphasised that daily household garbage collection through CLAP vehicles must be ensured, with each vehicle making three mandatory trips as per route maps. He also directed that microphone announcements be made during garbage collection to spread public awareness. Ward sanitary secretaries and inspectors were asked to identify and monitor frequent garbage dumping points and to move compactor bins periodically to avoid accumulation. Any waste found outside commercial complexes must attract penalties from shop owners, he said.
