Andhra Pradesh launches Swachha Andhra Awards, first State to honour excellence in cleanliness

Andhra Pradesh has launched the Swachha Andhra Awards–2025, becoming the first State in India to institutionalise annual awards recognising excellence in cleanliness and sanitation. Announced through a government order by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department on Monday, the awards will be presented every year at both the State and district levels.

Modelled on the Centre’s Swachh Survekshan Awards, the initiative aims to transform cleanliness into a sustained movement by honouring institutions, communities, and individuals who set new benchmarks. The State is already running the Swarna Andhra–Swachha Andhra campaign, under which every third Saturday is observed as Swachha Andhra Day (SASA) with active citizen participation. Officials described the new awards as a step beyond awareness campaigns, building an ecosystem of recognition, motivation, and accountability.

S. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, MAUD, stated that a total of 52 State-level awards and 1,421 district-level awards will be presented across categories including municipalities, gram panchayats, schools, hospitals, bus stations, rythu bazaars, hostels, industries, anganwadis, and residential schools. NGOs and sanitation workers, honoured as “Swachhata Warriors,” will also be recognised.

The first awards ceremony will be held on October 2, 2025, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, with the Chief Minister presenting the State-level awards. Officials said the programme would boost morale, encourage innovation, and embed cleanliness as a way of life in Andhra Pradesh.