HUA approves Rs 235 cr to Andhra Pradesh under 'Garbage Free Cities' vision

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved proposals worth Rs 235 crore to Andhra Pradesh under the 'Garbage Free Cities' vision, the largest one-time approval of funds for legacy dumpsite remediation, a statement said on Friday.

The Centre's share in these proposals will be Rs 77.66 crore, a ministry official said, adding that rest of the amount will be borne by the state.

The housing and urban affairs (HUA) ministry said legacy dumpsites pose a major threat to the environment and contributes to air pollution and water pollution.

It also said that clearing these mountains of years-old waste is critical to not just transforming the urban landscape of the country, but also addressing the issue of public health and environmental concerns.

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 1 last year with the vision of creating 'Garbage Free Cities' by 2026.

According to the ministry, one of the major objectives under the Mission is 'Lakshya Zero' dumpsite to remediate 16 crore metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste dumpsites occupying nearly 15,000 acres of city land.

"The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved the proposal worth Rs 77.66 crore submitted by Andhra Pradesh for remediation of over 42 lakh MT of waste in 28 ULBs (urban local bodies)," the statement stated.

Currently, 118 lakh MT of unremediated legacy waste is present across the state, locking up over 463 acres of valuable land, it stated.

The ministry's approval makes this the largest one-time approval of funds for legacy dumpsite remediation to Andhra Pradesh.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) had also celebrated 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' from January 17-31 on the theme of 'Smart Cities, Smart Urbanisation'.

Prioritising the issue of dumpsite remediation, more than 260 cities across five states and Union territories have submitted their action plan for legacy waste remediation to the ministry, signifying their commitment to the vision of garbage free cities, the statement added.