Official calls for effective implementation of solid waste management rules

Panchayat Raj Additional Commissioner M. Sudhakara Rao on Wednesday called for a grassroots-level sanitation movement to implement the Solid Waste Management Rules-2026 across gram panchayats in Andhra Pradesh. The official was holding a review meeting on sanitation initiatives at the Zilla Parishad conference hall here.

Waste should be treated as a valuable resource capable of improving public health, strengthening village cleanliness and generating livelihoods, Rao said, directing officials to fully utilise Solid Waste Processing Centres for scientific segregation and processing of household waste.

He said that as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, wet waste should be converted into vermicompost and dry waste must be systematically collected, stored and channelled through “Swachh Rathams” to maximise its economic value.