Swachhathon to become annual event, says Swachh Andhra Corporation chief

Swachhathon will be organised as an annual event to provide a sustained platform for promoting cleanliness, fitness and responsible citizenship, Swachh Andhra Corporation Chairman Kommareddy Pattabhiram said.

Swachha Andhra Corporation Chairman Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram, Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni), Police Commissioner Rajashekar Babu and Municipal Commissioner Dhyana Chandra H.M. take part in a Zumba session during Swachhathon–2026 in Vijayawada on Friday. | Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

Speaking at Swachhathon-2026, organised by the Swachh Andhra Corporation in association with Amaravati Runners here on Friday, Mr. Pattabhiram said the event had received strong support from sponsors and participants. He thanked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for creating greater awareness about the Swachh Andhra vision.

The event, held for the second consecutive year on Gandhi Jayanti and coinciding with Swachhata Diwas, sought to carry forward Mahatma Gandhi’s message of cleanliness. Mr. Pattabhiram said the focus this year was on creating awareness about cleanliness, the ban on single-use plastic and the need for a clean Andhra Pradesh.

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, Mr. Pattabhiram, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar, Swachh Andhra Corporation managing director Sunil Kumar Reddy, Police Commissioner Raja Sekhar Babu and Municipal Commissioner Dhyanchand flagged off the run at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium.

The organisers said nearly 10,000 runners from 23 States, including youngsters, senior citizens and members of the public, had registered for the event. Participants ran through the city, highlighting the messages of fitness, cleanliness, unity and social responsibility.

The runners covered Mahatma Gandhi Road, the Police Control Room, One Town flyover, Vinayaka temple, Seethamma Vari Paadalu, Prakasam Barrage, the Steel Bridge on the Amaravati Seed Access Road and Manthena Satyanarayana Raju Ashram before returning to the stadium.

The event featured a 21.1-km half marathon, 10K and 5K runs. Cash prizes totalling ₹10 lakh were presented to winners in different age categories for men and women.

HDFC Bank was the title sponsor, Tata Copper supported hydration, Medstar Hospitals was the health partner and Prithvi Toyota handled logistics.

Mr. Sunil Kumar Reddy described the idea of linking fitness with a larger social message through a marathon as innovative. Mr. Dhyanchand assured support for organising more such public events in the city. Mr. Raja Sekhar Babu, who flagged off the 10K run, also assured continued support for similar initiatives.

Amaravati Runners president Ramesh Ravi, HDFC Bank AP operations in-charge Pavan, zonal head Rohini Kumar, TDP youth leader Bonda Siddharth and others participated.