Vijayawada: In a resounding testament to its unwavering commitment to urban sanitation, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) secured an impressive 6th position in the Swachh Survekshan 2023 clean city rankings. With a population exceeding a million, Vijayawada has demonstrated remarkable strides in maintaining high standards of cleanliness.
The VMC has built a dedicated workforce of nearly 4,000 sanitation workers and 300 wet waste workers, managing an average of 520 tons per day (TPD) of waste generated. The corporation boasts state-of-the-art processing facilities, including an Material Recovery Facility (MRF) plant and a Waste to Energy Plant, ensuring efficient dry waste management. VMC has strategically placed six vermicompost plants, four windrow compost plants, and a bio-methanation plant for effective waste processing. Furthermore, the corporation has established a plant specifically designed for domestic hazardous and sanitary waste.
One of the standout features of VMC’s waste management strategy is the implementation of a bio-methanation plant, processing 16 tons of wet waste per day. This innovative approach not only ensures impactful wet waste processing but also contributes to power generation. In a bid to raise public awareness, VMC has conceptualized an information park within its integrated solid waste management plant. This park serves as a showcase for the corporation’s sanitation initiatives, providing details of its remarkable efforts to the public.
Vijayawada generates 47 TPD of Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste, which is efficiently managed by a 200-TPD capacity processing plant. The waste is skillfully transformed into bricks and paver blocks, enhancing residential and commercial areas with walking spaces and organized areas for street vendors. The city has successfully eradicated legacy waste dumpsites, eliminating 2.5 lakh tons of garbage through a bio-mining process. The reclaimed land has been ingeniously repurposed into a park, and the remaining area houses an integrated solid waste management plant, complete with a thermacol processing facility.
In an effort to promote recycling and sustainable practices, Vijayawada has established three permanent Resource Recovery and Recycling (RRR) centers managed by Self Help Group (SHG) women. These centers convert collected waste into various products such as tables, chairs, and handbags, contributing to a circular economy. Additionally, the city has set up wall of kindness and plastic collection centers to encourage citizens to donate unused items and recyclable materials.
Vijayawada, generating approximately 132 million liters per day of wastewater, has implemented an efficient sewage network comprising six Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and one STP with a co-treatment plant, with a combined capacity of 140 MLD. The treated water is judiciously utilized for agricultural irrigation, road cleaning, and watering plantations. As a canal-rich city, VMC has successfully removed 6000 tons of waste from canal bunds, contributing to the city’s environmental sustainability.
Vijayawada stands as a shining example of effective waste management and sanitation practices, a result of collaborative efforts between the Urban Local Body (ULB) and the proactive participation of its citizens in the city’s cleanliness initiatives.