Andhra Pradesh to set up Project Monitoring Units in 46 cities to enhance urban sanitation

In a move to strengthen urban sanitation governance and improve its national cleanliness ranking, the Andhra Pradesh government has approved the establishment of Project Monitoring Units (PMUs) in 46 Urban Local Bodies across the State. The initiative aims to provide focused, data-driven support to cities participating in Swachh Survekshan 2026 and to ensure effective implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0.

The PMUs will be operationalised by Swachha Andhra Corporation and will function as dedicated technical and monitoring units at the city level. The selected Urban Local Bodies include municipal corporations, mid-sized towns and small towns, including coastal and river cities. They were identified based on Swachh Survekshan 2024 rankings, population categories and priority areas under the 2025–26 framework.

Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, S. Suresh Kumar, said in a statement on Monday that the initiative marked a shift from episodic assessments to continuous performance management. He noted that Swachh Survekshan had evolved into a rigorous, data-intensive exercise requiring real-time monitoring, structured gap analysis and sustained technical support.

He emphasised that the PMUs would function as enablers rather than inspection units, supporting Municipal Commissioners and field teams through analytics, data verification and technical handholding. The PMUs will monitor sanitation performance, validate data, track projects under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 and flag delays or quality issues.

The expenditure will be met from SBM (Urban) 2.0 funds. The government said the initiative reflected its commitment to accountable, technology-enabled and citizen-centric urban governance.