Chandrababu Naidu sets Swachh targets, says Andhra Pradesh will be plastic-free by June next and roads garbage-free by January 26

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said they have set a target of making the roads garbage-free by January 26 next year. He has also exhorted people to help make the State plastic-free by June 2026.

Mr. Naidu participated in the Swarna Andhra - Swachh Andhra programme at Tallapalem in Anakapalli district on Saturday, where he interacted with the Green Ambassadors and administered a pledge to the students to keep their environs clean.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated the ‘Swachh Ratham’, through which people could get essential commodities in exchange of unused and waste articles in their houses. He also visited the Compost Unit, where garbage was converted into fertiliser and supplied to farmers.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Naidu said they had been recycling waste through the circular economy policy, and appealed to the people to be a part of it for the benefit of future generations.

“Presently, there are 25 Swachh Rathams across the State, and we will increase their number to 100 soon. We have set a target of making Home Compost in five lakh houses in the urban areas and 10 lakh houses in rural areas. We are planning to reach the target by March 26 next year,” he said.

Mr. Naidu said Anakapalli turned into an industrial hub and 24,843 acres at Rambilli, Pudi, Nakkapalli and Makavarapalem were being developed for this. He assured to bring the Polavaram water tp Anakapalli and also link the Godavari river with Vamsadhara river.

Mr. Naidu took a dig at the YSRCP for trying to stall the setting up of IT companies in Visakhapatnam and filling vacancies through DSC by approaching courts.

In an indirect reference to YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s criticism against the government for organising the International Yoga Day on a large scale, Mr. Naidu said yoga was India’s cultural wealth and gained global recognition due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts, with people in over 150 countries practising it today.

“When Visakhapatnam was chosen as the centre for the 11th International Yoga Day, the State organised the event in a way that earned worldwide appreciation,” the Chief Minister said.

He said a month-long yoga campaign had been conducted in villages with over 21.8 million people participating in it. A historic yoga session along the 26.3-km stretch in Visakhapatnam, attended by nearly 3 lakh people at dawn, showcased the city’s transformation into a Yoga Capital. The event had earned two Guinness records and 25 other records, and the Prime Minister personally praised it as unprecedented.

“Visakhapatnam, once labelled as a drug hub, is now emerging as an AI, data centre, and yoga capital, free from land grabbing and corruption,” the Chief Minister said, and lashed out at the previous government for wasting thousands of crores on projects without building even a single medical college.

Emphasising that yoga was essential for the future generations and public health, the Chief Minister said the government would take responsibility for turning yoga into a mass movement. He added that the NDA government was focused on sustainable development, transforming regions once affected by illegal activities into productive and green zones.