Drain maintenance, which has been treated as a routine sanitation activity, will now be considered as a critical infrastructure management.
| Photo Credit: Representative photo
With an aim of making the cities free of floods and maintaining hygiene, the Andhra Pradesh government has introduced a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for scientific de-siltation and safe cleaning of urban drains in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the State.
S.Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Department, in a statement on Tuesday, said the SOP mandates replacing sporadic, reactive drain cleaning with a planned, technology-driven and accountability-based system. He said the move aims to address chronic waterlogging, reduce flood risks during the monsoon and improve public health outcomes.
The initiative aligns with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of setting up climate-resilient urban centres, emphasising long-term solutions, digital monitoring and infrastructure capable of withstanding climate variability, he said.
The SOP covers the entire lifecycle of urban drains — from mapping and design to routine cleaning, monitoring and structural correction.
The Principal Secretary said the new framework tackles the root causes of flooding and sanitation failures.
“Drain maintenance has long been treated as a routine sanitation activity rather than critical infrastructure management. This SOP introduces a preventive, scientific approach with fixed schedules, digital mapping and strict accountability,” he said, adding that the Municipal Commissioners would be held responsible for compliance.
The key features of the SoP include GIS-based digital inventory of drains, mechanised cleaning with mandatory worker safety measures, outcome-based contracting, citizen participation and stringent enforcement against dumping.
Published – January 27, 2026 11:39 pm IST
