Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation – AMRUT 2.0

The Union Cabinet, which is chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved the extension of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) scheme till 2025-26. This move is a step towards attaining Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. The cabinet understands and believes that providing affordable and reliable water supply with good sanitation services to all urban households is a national priority.

AMRUT is monitored on a robust technology-based portal, and the projects will be geo-tagged. The total indicative outlay for the AMRUT 2.0 scheme is ₹ 2,77,000 crores. The funds for the projects are shared between the Centre, State, and ULBs. The central share will be ₹76,760 crores for five years from the financial year 2021-22 to the financial year 2025-26. Centre share funds will be released to the States based on allocation to the state as per State Water Action Plan.

Aim:

• To make the cities ‘water secure’ and ‘self-sustainable through a circular economy of water. 
• To achieve ease of living by providing proper piped water supply and sewerage facility to all urban households.
• To make it a paperless mission.

Key Features: 

• The scheme will encourage the mobilization of market finance by mandating the implementation of 10% of the worth of projects in the cities with a population above ten lakh through Public-Private Participation. 
• Cities will analyze and assess their consumption, water sources, future requirement, and water losses through a city water balance plan. 
• Based on the city water balance plan, the city water action plans are prepared. It will then be summed up as State Water Action Plan, and later it will be approved by the Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs. 
• The scheme will also bring in the leading technologies in the water sector in the world through technology sub-mission. 
• It will encourage entrepreneurs/ start-ups who will work towards a water ecosystem.
• The Information Education and Communication (IEC) campaign helps to spread awareness about water conservation.

Taking forward the remarkable achievements made under AMRUT:

• AMRUT 2.0 targets to provide 100% coverage of household sewerage management in 500 AMRUT cities.
• To achieve universal coverage of water supply in the urban areas by providing the household with taps connections in all the 4,378 statutory towns.
• The scheme targets to provide 2.64 crore sewer connections and 2.68 crore tap connections to achieve the desired outcomes.

Reformed agenda of AMRUT 2.0 (U) towards water-related aspects:

• Focus towards financial health and water security of ULBs
• To meet 20% of water demand through recycled water
• To reduce non-revenue water to less than 20% and 
• Rejuvenation of water bodies 

Other reforms are:

• reforms on property tax 
• user charges and 
• enhancing creditworthiness of ULBs

# It is to be noted that ULBs shall be rewarded with an incentive to achieve the set reforms.

What is Pey Jal Survekshan?

Pey Jal Survekshan is a drinking water survey. It was launched in 10 cities namely., Agra, Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Churu, Kochi, Madurai, Patiala, Rohtak, Surat, and Tumkur of India under Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban). It was launched by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. The scheme is monitored through a technology-based platform on which the response of the beneficiary will be monitored. As part of the survey, there will be a collection of data regarding the wastewater management and condition of water bodies in the cities. It will encourage competition among cities for benchmarking urban water services. 

The backdrop of the scheme:

• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) first focused on the national water mission. It was launched in June 2015 to facilitate ease of living for citizens in 500 cities by providing tap connections and sewer connections. 
• To date, 1.1 crore household tap connections and 85 lakh sewer connections have been provided. 
• 6,000 MLD sewage treatment capacities are developed, out of which 1,210 MLD capacities are already created, with a provision for reuse of 907 MLD treated sewage.
• So far, 1,820 parks with an area of 3,600 acres have been developed. 
• Another 1,800 acres of area is under greening.
• Till now, 1,700 flooding points have been removed.

How to achieve the intended goals?

• Undertake water source conservation/ augmentation, 
• Rejuvenation of the water bodies and wells, 
• To provide functional tap connections to all households, 
• Recycle/reuse of treated used water and rainwater harvesting.