AMRUT 2.0: Parliamentary panel flags slow progress; seeks targets, stronger water management push
NEW DELHI: Concerned with the slow implementation of water body rejuvenation projects under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0, a Parliamentary Panel has asked the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to accelerate the completion of all sanctioned projects and set annual progress targets. As per the report of the Standing Committee of Lok Sabha presented in Parliament on Friday, only 678 out of 3,032 projects have been completed. It also noted that despite extensive mapping of water bodies, rejuvenation plans have been prepared for only about 10.5 per cent of them under the scheme. The Committee, in its report titled Review of AMRUT with special emphasis on urban drinking water , has also recommended the formulation of a National Urban Wastewater Reuse Policy on a priority basis, mandating time-bound adoption of state-level reuse policies and establishing robust systems for tracking actual reuse. The Committee evaluated the adequacy of financial investments under AMRUT 1.0 and 2.0 in comparison with the projections made by the High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) in 2011, which estimated 3.2 lakh crore for urban water supply infrastructure and 5.5 lakh crore for Operations and Maintenance (O&M) over a 20-year period (20122031). The panel observed that while AMRUT has led to a notable scaling-up of investments in urban water supply infrastructure, the sanctioned amount still meets only about half of the requirement projected by HPEC. It therefore suggested that the ministry take immediate steps to bridge the financing gap, and assess additional financial requirements and investments with a long-term perspective up to 2047. One of the recommendations made by the Committee is to establish coordination with the Ministry of Jal Shakti and concerned state departments to take time-bound action to institutionalise integrated urban water management, including the setting up of a formal inter-ministerial coordination platform with clearly defined roles for key ministries and planning bodies. Taking note of the alarming depletion of groundwater reserves and the growing threat to water security, the Committee also sought the formation of a National Urban Aquifer Recharge Strategy with defined benchmarks, monitoring mechanisms and a GIS-enabled tracking system to quantify outcomes and the sustainability of various initiatives. The ministry must take all necessary measures for optimal utilisation of the sewage treatment capacity of the existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and promote installation of sufficient STPs across States/UTs to achieve 100 per cent wastewater treatment, the report said.
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