Context:

India’s cities are growing fast. More and more people are moving to urban areas in search of better jobs, education, and a higher quality of life. But this rapid growth also brings many challenges. Clean drinking water, good sewer systems, safe roads, green spaces, and reliable public transport are all essential for healthy and sustainable cities.

• To address these needs, the Government of India launched the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) in 2015. Over the past ten years, AMRUT has helped hundreds of cities improve their basic services and plan for the future. From building water treatment plants to creating parks and promoting cycling, the Mission has aimed to make cities more liveable for everyone, especially the urban poor.

About AMRUT:

AMRUT was designed with three main goals:

1.       Universal access to water supply and sewerage: Every household should have a tap with an assured water supply and a sewerage connection.

2.      Greener and healthier cities: Developing parks and green spaces to improve the quality of life, especially for children and the elderly.

3.      Cleaner urban environments: Reducing pollution by investing in public transport and infrastructure for walking and cycling.

To achieve these objectives, AMRUT covered 500 cities and towns (now 485 after mergers). It operated as a centrally sponsored scheme, where funding was shared between the Centre and the States/Union Territories. The distribution of funds was based on urban population and the number of eligible towns in each state.

Mission Components:

AMRUT focused on seven broad areas:

·         Water Supply: Upgrading water supply systems, building treatment plants, rehabilitating old networks, ensuring universal metering, and rejuvenating water bodies for drinking water. Special measures were included for areas facing water quality challenges such as arsenic or fluoride contamination.

·         Sewerage and Septage Management: Developing decentralised sewerage networks, expanding sewage treatment capacity, recycling wastewater, and improving faecal sludge management through mechanical and biological cleaning.

·         Storm Water Drainage: Building and upgrading drains to prevent flooding during heavy rains.

·         Urban Transport: Improving facilities for non-motorised transport like footpaths, cycling tracks, and foot over-bridges; introducing bus services and multi-level parking solutions.

·         Green Spaces and Parks: Creating and maintaining parks with features for children and senior citizens.

·         Capacity Building: Training individuals and strengthening institutions, not just in the Mission cities but across all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

·         Reform Implementation: Supporting policy and administrative reforms to make urban governance more efficient and transparent.

Implementation and Financial Progress:

Over the past decade, the scale of investment has been significant:

·         State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs) worth ₹77,640 crore were approved under AMRUT.

·         The Central Government committed ₹35,990 crore as assistance.

·         By mid-2025, projects worth ₹79,401 crore had been completed, with ₹72,656 crore spent on the ground.

Overall, 14,828 projects costing ₹2,73,649 crore were sanctioned under AMRUT and its successor, AMRUT 2.0.

Achievements under AMRUT (2015–2021)

·         Water Supply: Millions of households gained access to piped water. Water treatment capacity increased substantially.

·         Sewerage: Large-scale expansion of sewer networks and treatment facilities reduced the discharge of untreated wastewater.

·         Parks and Green Spaces: Up to 2.5% of project costs were allocated to build parks and green zones.

·         Capacity Building: Training was provided to thousands of city officials, engineers, and other stakeholders.

Launch of AMRUT 2.0

On 1 October 2021, the government launched AMRUT 2.0 to extend and deepen these reforms. The new phase has a much larger scope and budget:

·         Coverage: All ULBs across India.

·         Goals: Universal coverage of water supply and sewerage in the original AMRUT cities, achieving water security, and making cities self-reliant.

·         Outlay: ₹2,99,000 crore over five years, with ₹76,760 crore as the central share.

Key Features of AMRUT 2.0

1.       Water Supply:

o    3,568 projects worth ₹1,14,220 crore approved.

o    181 lakh new tap connections sanctioned.

o    10,647 MLD of new Water Treatment Plant capacity approved.

o    1,487 water supply projects planned with SCADA technology for better monitoring.

2.      Sewerage and Septage Management:

o    592 projects worth ₹67,608 crore approved.

o    67 lakh new sewer connections planned.

o    6,739 MLD sewage treatment capacity approved.

o    235 projects with SCADA integration for real-time control.

3.      Innovation and Start-up Support:

o    Under the Technology Sub-Mission, 120 start-ups were selected to pilot new ideas in 82 cities.

o    These projects aim to bring innovations in water conservation, treatment, and service delivery.

4.     Jal Hi AMRIT Initiative:

o    Encourages states to improve sewage treatment and reuse treated water safely.

Overall Achievements (2015–2025)

The combined impact of AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0 is notable:

·         2.03 crore tap connections and 1.50 crore sewer connections provided.

·         544 water bodies rejuvenated, covering over 9,500 acres.

·         3,032 water bodies approved for future rejuvenation across 1.09 lakh acres.

·         Over ₹97,000 crore spent on projects by the Centre, States, and ULBs.

·         ₹47,625 crore in central assistance released to support projects.

Special Initiatives

Several targeted programs have emerged within AMRUT:

·         AMRUT Mitra: Involving over 10,000 women Self-Help Group members to implement smaller projects. 1,762 projects worth ₹147 crore have been approved.

·         Drink from Tap (DFT): 381 projects worth ₹23,490 crore are in progress to enable safe tap water access for about 8 lakh households.

·         Capacity Building: Over 90,000 people, including contractors, plumbers, engineers, women, and youth, have been trained.

Challenges and the Way Forward:

While AMRUT has delivered significant progress, some challenges remain:

·         Urban areas continue to face water scarcity and pollution.

·         The pace of project execution varies across states.

·         Maintenance of new infrastructure requires sustained investment and local capacity.

To address these gaps, AMRUT 2.0 has strengthened monitoring through SCADA systems and focused on innovation through the Technology Sub-Mission.

Conclusion:

Over ten years, AMRUT has transformed India’s approach to urban development. By combining infrastructure investment with institutional strengthening and capacity building, it has created a framework for more liveable, resilient, and inclusive cities. As urbanisation continues to accelerate, the Mission’s lessons and achievements will serve as a foundation for building cities that are not only modern but also equitable and sustainable.