Eco Vizag: Beach cleaning machines taken on a trial run

Earlier this month, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) introduced beach cleaning machines as a part of the Eco Vizag campaign. Yesterday, the civic body undertook a trial run in the presence of city mayor Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari, who inspected the six machines. She informed the media that more such beach cleaning machines would be introduced soon, and CM Jagan would inaugurate them.

According to the mayor, the five machines were taken on a lease for three years at Rs 9 crores approximately. Further, one more machine costing Rs 82 lakhs has been employed. The machines consist of sieves that dig through the sand and effectively separate the plastic waste from it. Similar machines are employed in metropolitans such as Chennai, Mumbai, and Goa for effective beach cleaning as a part of those cities’ clean-up programmes.

Also read: Visakhapatnam Port Authority to ready cruise terminal by November

Alongside initiating action plans like these, the GVMC has been conducting awareness drives by engaging the city’s younger citizens. Painting contests, elocutions, and essay writing competitions were held at various schools to increase the exposure for this campaign. The Vizag civic body is currently operating these mechanised beach-cleaning machines temporarily. It plans to install more and make better use of the technology, depending on the results.

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