Ketan Garg, Commissioner of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, details expansion of citizen led disaster preparedness after selection among 630 plus global cities in Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge
Mumbai, February 26, 2026: Visakhapatnam has secured a USD 1 million grant under the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2025 to 2026 Mayors Challenge for its Vizag Prajamukhi Urban Living Lab model known as V PULL.
Selected as one of 24 global winners from more than 630 competing cities worldwide, the initiative developed by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation was recognised for its citizen driven approach to climate resilience.
V PULL focuses on mitigating floods, cyclones and severe heatwaves through hyperlocal governance and structured civic participation. In the initial phase of the challenge, the municipal corporation was shortlisted among the top 50 finalists and received USD 50,000 in seed funding along with technical assistance.
With this support, pilot interventions were implemented at ward level. Structured community meetings were conducted, hyperlocal sensing systems were tested and data driven decision making tools were introduced. Participatory climate resilience and disaster preparedness measures helped strengthen feedback mechanisms between residents and municipal departments.
“Being selected as a winner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2025 to 2026 Mayors Challenge is a great honour for GVMC. This recognition strengthens our belief that cities can lead transformative change when innovation is grounded in citizen participation and field tested solutions,” said Ketan Garg, Commissioner of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation.
He added that the USD 1 million grant will be utilised to deepen the bottom up governance model, enhance disaster preparedness and expand implementation across more wards in the city.
The Mayors Challenge was launched by Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and former Mayor of New York City, to support city governments in addressing pressing urban challenges through innovative models.
With this recognition, Visakhapatnam joins global cities including Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, Toronto, Cape Town, Budapest, Medellín and Belfast on a global climate innovation platform.
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