Andhra Pradesh targets complete removal of underground legacy waste by October 2

Andhra Pradesh Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister Ponguru Narayana has directed officials to ensure the complete removal of underground legacy waste across the state by October 2.

He noted that the state government is stepping up efforts to make municipalities free of dumping yards.

Narayana issued the directive during a review meeting at the Secretariat on the progress of legacy waste remediation and the development of new waste management facilities. The meeting was attended by Swachh Andhra Corporation Managing Director Sunil Kumar Reddy and representatives of contracting agencies.

The minister said the state government is undertaking the clearance of around 150 lakh tonnes of legacy waste accumulated during the previous administration. While waste lying on the surface has reportedly been cleared, a significant quantity of waste remains buried underground and needs to be remediated.

Narayana instructed contractors to accelerate the remaining work and complete the removal of underground waste before Gandhi Jayanti, observed on October 2. The target is aimed at ensuring that municipalities no longer depend on accumulated waste dumps and can move towards more systematic solid waste management.

Alongside legacy waste remediation, the state is accelerating the construction of new waste processing facilities to handle the fresh municipal solid waste being generated every day.

The minister also announced that six upcoming Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants will process municipal solid waste and convert it into electricity. These facilities are expected to follow a same-day processing model, reducing the need for prolonged storage or dumping of newly generated waste.

Until the new WtE facilities become operational, fresh waste processing plants are being established on a fast-track basis to manage the state’s ongoing waste generation.

Last year, Narayana announced that state government will set up six ‘waste-to-energy’ plants across Andhra Pradesh. Previously, he stated that his government was committed to eliminate all legacy waste by October 2, 2025 but has now set a new target date after failing to achieve it last year.