Andhra Pradesh CM Flags Off E-Autos Under CLAP

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy flagged off 516 e-autos under the Clean Andhra Pradesh (CLAP) initiative from here on Thursday. The e-autos, worth Rs 22.18 crore, would be deployed in 36 municipalities for garbage collection in an eco-friendly manner.

The government aims to make all cities of AP as “Bin-free, Litter-free and Garbage-free.” Some 80 to 100 women are being given the opportunity to become drivers of e-autos under this initiative.

Municipal administration and urban development minister Adipulapu Suresh said the CM started the e-auto plan to reduce the financial burden on small municipalities. “He is undertaking many programmes as part of the decentralisation of administration and development,” the minister said.

Suresh said 516 e-autos have been distributed in the first phase, and more in the second phase. Some 120 lakh waste baskets in blue, green and red colours have been distributed to 40 lakh families in 123 municipalities for the collection of wet, dry and hazardous waste.

He said that 2,525 petrol, diesel and CNG garbage tippers are being used for garbage collection in municipalities.

Waste-to-Energy projects have been started in Guntur and Visakhapatnam and another plant with a capacity of 400 metric tonnes per day would be set up.

“The government has set up 71 integrated solid waste management projects, 29 waste to compost and 4 bio-mixing projects for wet waste management. Some 206 STPs have been set up at a cost of Rs 1,445 crore in 66 small municipalities having a population of less than one lakh.

Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTP) have been set up in 55 such small municipalities.

On the pending bills in municipalities, Suresh said all these have been cleared. MIG and Tidco layouts will be completed quickly without compromising on the quality, he said.

Suresh said “If Chandrababu had provided all the facilities in the past, the beneficiaries would have already occupied these Tidco houses. The work is being speeded up to complete the target of distribution of 2,62,000 Tidco houses, he said.

Revenue minister Prasada Rao, labour and employment minister G. Jayaram, municipal and urban development special secretary Y.S. Srilakshmi, public representatives and officials were present.