Lok Sabha Question No. 2373 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-13
Subject: Limitations of AMRUT scheme
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Ms. Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2373 TO BE ANSWERED ON MARCH 13, 2025

## LIMITATIONS OF AMRUT SCHEME

NO. 2373.

MS. PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE:

Will the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government acknowledges the limitations of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation  (AMRUT), particularly its project-oriented approach over a holistic one and if so, the steps being taken to address these issues;
- (b) the  reasons  for  the  reported  lack  of  stakeholder  engagement, including elected city representatives, in the implementation of the scheme  along  with  the  measures  considered/being  considered  to enhance their involvement; and
- (c) the  response  of  the  Government  to  the  findings  of  the  'Pey  Jal Survekshan' survey which indicated that only 46 out of 485 surveyed cities achieved a hundred per cent pass rate for water samples from households and treatment plants along with the corrective actions planned to improve water quality and supply across cities?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)

(a) & (b): Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was launched on 25 June 2015 in selected 500 cities (485 cities including 15 merged cities) and towns across the country. The Mission focuses on development of basic infrastructure, in the selected cities and towns, in the sectors of water supply; sewerage and septage management; storm water drainage;  green  spaces  and  parks;  and  non-motorized  urban  transport. AMRUT empowers States/ Union Territories (UTs) to design, prioritize and implement the projects in respective Urban Local Bodies as per the Mission guidelines. Selection of projects and their implementation is the responsibility of the concerned State Governments.

AMRUT guidelines provides for involvement of stakeholders/ elected representatives.  The  Mission  guidelines  have  provisions  for  formation  of State  High  Powered  Steering  Committee  (SHPSC)  headed  by  the  Chief Secretary of the State and members from the concerned department of the State, to  monitor  and supervise  the implementation  of  the scheme at the

State/  UT  level.  State  Level  Technical  Committee  (SLTC)  headed  by  the Secretary,  Urban  Development  &  Housing  Department  provides  technical support to the SHPSC in monitoring and supervising the scheme at the State level. Further, an Apex Committee constituted under the ambit of Mission guidelines reviews and monitor the Mission periodically. Also the Mission guidelines  makes  provisions  for  District  Level  Review  and  Monitoring Committee  with  Members  of  Parliament  as  co-chairpersons  with  District collector for monitoring and review of AMRUT projects.

As reported by the State/ Union Territories (UTs), against the approved plan size of ₹77,640 crore, 6,010 projects worth ₹83,578 crore have been taken up, of this works worth ₹79,401 crore have been physically completed. Under AMRUT Mission in convergence with the States 189 lakh water tap connections (new/ serviced) have been provided against the target of 139 lakh;  149  lakh  sewer  connections  (new/  serviced)  (including  households covered through Faecal Sludge and Septage Management-FSSM) provided against  t he  target  of  145  lakh;  Sewer  network  of  19,598  kilometers  and water supply network of 64,463 kilometers have been constructed; 4,447 Million Litre Per Day (MLD) Sewerage Treatment Capacity (STP) and 4,734 Million  Litre  Per  Day  (MLD)  Water  Treatment  Capacity  (WTP)  have  been developed; 1,434 km length of drains have been constructed resulting in eliminating  3,708  numbers  of  water  logging  points;  5,086  acres  of  Green space, 430 km pedestrian/ walkway and 43 km of cycle track have been developed.

(c): Pey Jal Survekshan under AMRUT 2.0 is one of the tools for assessment of  quality,  quantity  and coverage of water supply, sewerage and septage management, etc. For improving the water quality Under AMRUT State/UTs have taken up water Treatment Plant (WTPs) projects. So far 4,734 MLD water  treatment  capacity  has  been  developed  under  AMRUT.    Approved water  supply  projects  under  AMRUT  2.0  cover  creation/  augmentation  of 10,647 MLD water treatment capacity. Further, under AMRUT 2.0, AMRUT Mitra initiative has been launched to actively involve women SHG groups in water  demand  management,  water  quality  testing,  water  infrastructure operations, and other water sectoral projects. Jal Hi AMRIT has also been launched  as  a  sub-scheme  under  AMRUT  2.0  reforms,  which  aims  to incentivize states and UTs to efficiently manage sewage treatment plants for recyclable treated water meeting environmental standards. The focus of sub scheme is to build capacity & incentivizing qualitative improvements in the treated discharge effluent.

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