In its second year, Andhra Pradesh Federation of Resident Welfare Associations (APFERWAS) aims at extending its reach to more RWAs in the city and play its role in improving the solid waste management.
In its first year it has about 130 RWAs in the city besides other parts of the State. It so far conducted 20 workshops in association with its CSR partner Cityzen, on segregation of waste and compost-making in various zones of the city, APFERWAS president Uday Shirname has said.
In a first of its kind, zone-wise meetings with RWAs were held with Municipal Commissioner M. Hari Narayana himself setting the process in motion, he told a press conference organised to mark completion of one year of APFERWAS.
The goal of APFERWAS was to contribute to clean and responsible living through its activities and with around 250 RWAs under it, by next year half the population of the city would be associated with it, he said.
Several local issues, including roads at Midhilapuri Colony, clearing of encroachments at Endada and drains at P.M. Palem, were taken up and in zones the effort was to address civic issues, he said.
The federation was also undertaking active campaigns for solar roof-top power generation and rainwater harvesting.
The successful conduct of the fourth national conference of RWAs by APFERWAS coinciding with its launch by the then Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu here was a good experience and in fact, paved the way for the fifth one in Mumbai turning out to be a success, federation vice-president K.S.R. Murthy said. Six of the APFERWAS representatives won awards at the Mumbai meet. It was also the first to have its website.
General secretary A.V. Ramana Rao said the federation would focus on uniting RWAs and forming new ones.
He thanked advisor S.P. Ravindra of Alwardas Group of Institutions for encouraging APFERWAS by providing office space to it.