Swachh Andhra inks pact with ITC for solid & e-waste management

Vijayawada: Swachh Andhra Corporation formalised partnerships with ITC and Re-Sustainability by signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) at the CDMA office in Tadepalli. These agreements aim to streamline solid waste processing under ITC's ‘well-being out of waste' (WOW) programme and establish e-waste collection and recycling systems in Andhra Pradesh.
Under the solid waste MoU, 30 urban local bodies (including Pithapuram, Ongole, Tirupati, Kadapa, and Mangalagiri) and 5,000 sub-ULBs will adopt ITC's model. ITC will provide technical guidelines, training for material recovery facility (MRF) operations, and orientation programmes for NGOs, ULB staff, and school students on wet-dry waste segregation. Swachh Andhra Corporation will facilitate necessary infrastructure—shades, baling machines, composting units. It will secure permissions, and coordinate with banks to expedite funding.
In the e-waste agreement, Re-Sustainability, in collaboration with Hyderabad's Reldan Pvt. Ltd., will launch a 5,000 sqft pilot e-waste collection centre in Vijayawada, compliant with national and state regulations. Self-help groups (SHGs) will be enlisted for door-to-door e-waste collection, receiving employment support and capacity building.
Swachh Andhra Corporation chairman Komma Reddy Pattabhi Ram emphasised govt's focus on ease and speed of doing business in environmental services.
"All initiatives must deliver measurable results," he stated, noting that chief minister Chandrababu Naidu will review progress.
CDMA commissioner P Sampath Kumar, Swachh Andhra MD B Anil Kumar Reddy, Kakinada municipal commissioner Bhavana, and representatives from 30 municipalities witnessed the signing ceremony and pledged coordinated efforts to realise the ambitious targets.