AMRUT scheme has garnered attention due to the challenges it is facing in addressing infrastructure issues related to water, mobility, and pollution.
AMRUT Scheme
- Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was launched on 25th June 2015 in 500 selected cities across the country, covering around 60% of the urban population.
- The mission targets enhancing basic infrastructure and implementing urban reforms for selected cities, encompassing water supply, sewerage, drainage, green spaces, non-motorised transport, and capacity building.
AMRUT 2.0 Scheme
- The scheme was launched on 1st October 2021, subsuming AMRUT 1.0 for the period of 5 years i.e. from the financial year (FY) 2021-22 to the FY 2025-26.
- Its objective are universal coverage of water supply from 500 cities to about 4,900 statutory towns in the country and coverage of sewerage/septage management in 500 cities covered in the first phase of the AMRUT scheme.
- AMRUT 2.0 aims to promote the circular economy of water through the development of a City Water Balance Plan (CWBP) by recycling/reuse of treated sewage, rejuvenation of water bodies and water conservation.
- The mission also has a reform agenda on ease of living of citizens through the reduction of non-revenue water, urban planning, strengthening urban finance etc.
Other components of AMRUT 2.0
- Pey Jal Survekshan to ascertain equitable distribution of water, reuse of wastewater, mapping of water bodies and promote healthy competition among the cities /towns.
- Technology Sub-Mission for Water to leverage the latest global technologies in the field of water.
- Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign to spread awareness among the masses about the conservation of water.
Status of the AMRUT 2.0 Scheme
Fund Allocation
- The total outlay for AMRUT 2.0 is Rs. 2,99,000 crore for ongoing projects until March 2023.
Impact
- AMRUT has impacted the lives of women in many positive ways . Women can now utilise their time in a more productive way due to a decrease in effort in fetching water.
- It has further led to a decrease in disease load due to availability of safe drinking water.
Challenges
- Despite the implementation of the scheme, around 200,000 people die annually due to inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene.
- India’s 2016 disease burden from unsafe water and sanitation is 40 times higher per person than China’s and showing little improvement.
- A NITI Aayog report indicates that around 21 major cities will deplete their groundwater, leaving 40% of India’s population without access to drinking water by 2030.
- Nearly 31% of urban Indian households lack piped water while 67.3% are not connected to a piped sewerage system.