AMRUT Scheme for Urban Transformation

So, we meet again huh!

Long back when I was a kid, I used to ask my parents whether I could ever see a much improved India with less sewage waste, less traffic, and more water supply for people who are not able to afford it. Parents used to say our government is always one step ahead; they will work it out and improve our country before you know it.

Right now that I am writing about this revolutionary project, I am extremely elated and excited, and I really wanted to share it with all of you.

So, let's dive into the AMRUT aka Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation

WHAT IS AMRUT SCHEME?

AMRUT aka Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, is a Government of India initiative to upgrade the quality of life in cities by ensuring basic amenities such as Water Supply, Sewerage, Urban Transport, Parks, Green Spaces, and Capacity Buildings. The AMRUT was launched in June 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and they completed the Phase 01 project successfully.

Phase 02 project i.e., AMRUT 2.0 has been launched in October 2021 and the project shall be completed till the FY aka Financial Year 2025 to 2026. This scheme is entirely based on Public-Private Partnership aka PPP.

AMRUT COST AND CONSUMPTION

Estimated cost consumption had been about Rs. 50,000 crores for five years from FY 2015-16 to FY 2019-20. For AMRUT 2.0, it was estimated to be about Rs. 2,99,000 crores; the central spending was only for Rs. 76,760 crores for five years, and the rest was to be mobilized by the states and the cities.

Till May 19, 2024, Rs. 83,357 crore has already been released.
It helped sanction a total of 58,66,237 tap connections and 37,49,467 sewerage connections. It also comprised developing 2,411 parks. Furthermore, 62,78,571 LED lights have been changed. These works comprise both the states and the cities' contributions.

KEY OBJECTIVES OF AMRUT PROGRAMME

AMRUT has primarily been steered for the upliftment of the quality of life in cities with basic infrastructure services, such as water supply, sewerage, and drainage, as an essential parameter for urban living. This greatly helps to enhance public health, contributes to the environment, and helps in the aesthetic appearance of urban spaces.

The three priority focus areas of AMRUT are:

Water Supply and Sewerage Management:

One of the top priority services offered under the AMRUT program is that every household is to be provided with a functional tap connection along with proper sewerage management. The program through water supply and sewerage management highlights the wider issues of scarcity of water and sanitation.

Stormwater Management:

Annual flooding by the monsoon rainfall hurts most of the cities of India to a large extent. The improvement in stormwater drainage systems and reduction in the water logging of the cities, primarily the pockets exposed to flooding, will be interesting as AMRUT creates resilient cities to resist extreme weather conditions.

The mission aims to provide green spaces that include parks, among others. Furthermore, the transportation systems in cities are improved through walkways, cycle paths, and efficient public transport to reduce the pollution associated with making city living easy and sustainable.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ON AMRUT 2.0

A drone survey was commenced on October 17, 2024, to plan a digital master plan for developing Vikarabad. Vikarabad is one of the 20 towns in Telangana which has a population of more than 50,000 and that has been shortlisted to prepare a Geographical Information System, aka GIS-based master plan under the Atal Mission of Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, aka AMRUT 2.0 of Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

The Vikarabad district authorities have collaborated with the Municipal Survey of India Officials to carry on the survey. Of the 20 municipalities, Vikarabad is the first to initiate the exercise using state-of-the-art technology. The rest are Jangaon, Kagaznagar, Bodhan, Gadwal, Armoor, Badepally, Bhainsa, Kodad, Korutla, Kothagudem, Mancherial, Mandamarri, Medak, Metpally, Palvancha, Sircilla, Tandur, Wanaparthy, and Zaheerabad.

It is the new master plan that aims to meet the requirements of Vikarabad for the next 30 to 40 years. The aim of this master plan includes illegal constructions to be monitored within urban local bodies and development areas.

The population counts roughly 50,000, but the gathering of this data is to feed into the master plan that would cover matters of graveyards, cell towers, drainage channels, housing, markets, reservoirs, roads, toilets, and pipes bringing water into the places.

NEO-TYCHOONIC APPROACH TO URBAN DEVELOPMENT

What's different here is the approach of decentralized urban planning. It gives cities autonomy to identify specific needs and design projects accordingly. The mission encourages public participation along with their desire to prioritize Local Solutions so that every urban area addresses its most critical challenges.

THE PATH AHEAD AND THE CHALLENGES

Even though AMRUT has been able to produce eye-catching success, several challenges like Limited Funding, Administrative Hurdles, and coordination between different levels of government can slow down the implementation of projects. Besides, as climate changes increase, it will have to evolve to focus more on building climate infrastructure.

The successes of the mission till now do hope that Indian cities will continue to be on a transformation trajectory by providing significantly better living environments for future generations to come.

A SUCCESS STORY IN NUMERALS

By the year 2022, AMRUT had clocked in significant milestones in meeting its goals. So, in that, some key achievements are: Over 1 crore (10 million) household water tap connections were installed.

Improved sewerage facilities for millions of urban people.

Over 4,500 parks were created, adding thousands of acres of green spaces across the cities.

In all, AMRUT will bring a dividend to more than 60% of India's urban population, making cities cleaner, healthier and more resilient.

CONCLUSION

AMRUT is not just an infrastructure development program, but a vision for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban spaces in India. As AMRUT goes ahead, it builds the framework of the cities of tomorrow, where people can enjoy basic amenities with an improvement in their quality of life. If the future of cities has anything to do with innovation, resilience, and sustainability, then AMRUT is paving the way forward.