Cleanliness is collective responsibility: Civic chief

Vijayawada: NTR district Collector S Dilli Rao praised the efforts being made by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation in organising a fortnight long Swachhata hi Seva campaign, implementing numerous cleanliness initiatives, and enhancing the beauty of the city. He expressed his happiness for the projects being undertaken in coordination with the team, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti, International Non-Violence Day and Swachhata Divas.

Dilli Rao was the guest at the closing ceremony of the Indian Swachhata League 2.0 Swachhata Hi Seva organised by the VMC at BR Ambedkar Park here on Monday.

Dilli Rao highlighted the key role played by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in the city’s cleanliness efforts, which were effectively executed by VMC Commissioner Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar. He stressed the importance of continuous efforts to keep city clean and achieve ranks in the national level Swatcha Sarvekshan missions.

VMC Commissioner Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar, who presided over the closing ceremony, highlighted the invaluable contributions of sanitary workers and called upon public to shoulder their responsibility in keeping the city clean. He said the sanitary workers tirelessly work to keep the city clean and they are the unsung heroes of our city.

He said their work is commendable and they deserve our respect and gratitude. He went on to emphasise the collective responsibility of people in maintaining the city clean. It is the responsibility of every citizen to refrain from littering our streets and canals.

The VCM chief further said throwing garbage on the roads not only tarnishes the city’s beauty but also places an unnecessary burden on the sanitation workers. Sharing an insightful observation from his travels abroad, the Commissioner pointed out, “During my visit to foreign countries, I noticed that despite sanitation workers working only three days a week, the streets remained remarkably clean. This is because the citizens take it upon themselves not to litter. We must learn from this and adopt a similar mindset.”

Central MLA Malladi Vishnu praised Commissioner Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar for his unwavering dedication to the city and its development.

Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation chairperson and Corporator Bandi Punyaseela, in-charge of East Constituency Devineni Avinash, Deputy Mayors and corporators, VMC Additional commissioner (projects) KV Satyavathi, Additional Commissioner (general) K Sakuntala, CMOH P Ratnavali, Chief Engineer Prabhakar, Estate Officer Srinivas and corporation employees participated in this closing ceremony.