AMRUT 2.0

AMRUT 2.0

Subject : Schemes

Concept :

• In a Pilot project under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0, 10 cities across the country are getting ready to revive defunct borewells, neglected heritage stepwells and other shallow aquifers in a pilot project to recharge the groundwater as well as mitigate flooding.
• According to officials of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which runs AMRUT 2.0, the pilot is expected to be on the ground by the end of this year or early 2024.
• The cities — Jaipur, Gwalior, Dhanbad, Kolkata, Rajkot, Thane, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai — were selected due to their historical dependence on shallow aquifer systems and the local urban bodies’ interest in implementing the project, a ministry source said.

AMRUT 2.0

• AMRUT 2.0 was launched in October 2021 for a period of 5 years, i.e., Financial Year 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• It is an extension of the AMRUT mission, which was launched in June 2015 and aims to provide every household with access to a tap with a guaranteed supply of water and a sewer connection.
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is the nodal ministry for the scheme.

Objectives

• To carry forward the objective of universal coverage of water supply from 500 cities covered under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) to all the statutory towns across the country.
• Providing comprehensive coverage of sewage and septage control in 500 AMRUT cities and making the cities “self-reliant” and “water secure.” The mission has a reform plan that is centred on water sector changes, citizen comfort, and financial sustainability.
• It will build on AMRUT’s achievements in addressing water demands, reviving waterbodies, managing aquifers better, reusing treated wastewater, and encouraging a circular economy of water.
• 100% coverage of sewage and septic systems in 500 AMRUT cities.
• Freshwater bodies shall be protected from pollution under the Mission to ensure the sustainability of natural resources. It is projected that recycled and reused treated wastewater will provide 40% of industrial demand and 20% of urban water demand.
• Ensure fair water distribution, wastewater reuse, and the mapping of water bodies, Pey Jal Survekshan will be carried out in cities.

Present Status of the AMRUT

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has approved State Water Action Plans (SWAPs) for 6,527 projects (including Operation & Maintenance Costs).
• These initiatives are planned to result in 148 million new tap connections and 33.42 lakh new sewer connections.
• Plans include the provision of 148 lakh new water connections and 33.42 lakh new sewer connections.
• 2,102 water body rejuvenation projects have also been approved under SWAPs.