2135 water body rejuvenation projects approved since 2021: Centre informs Parliament

New Delhi, Dec 4: A total of 2,135 water body rejuvenation projects worth Rs 3,802 crore have been approved by the Centre under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 since the year 2021, Urban Affairs Ministry informed Parliament on Monday.

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Minister of State (MoS) in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Kaushal Kishore, informed that 35 states and UTs have adopted the provision of rainwater harvesting in their respective building byelaws as suggested by Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL) 2016.

MoS Kishore informed that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA), through its national missions, including the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and AMRUT 2.0 is supporting the efforts of state governments for the management of the water crisis.

AMRUT 2.0 was launched on October 1, 2021, covering all the statutory towns of the country to ensure universal coverage of water supply and make cities 'water secure'. The Centre's target is to provide tap water to every household by 2024.

"So far, in AMRUT 2.0, 2,135 water body rejuvenation projects worth Rs 3,802 crore have been approved by MoHUA. Aquifer Management Plan will also be prepared to focus on maintaining positive groundwater balance in urban aquifer systems," MoS Kaushal Kishore said.

The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) scheme was launched on October 1, 2021, for a period of 5 years from the financial year 2021-22 to the financial year 2025-26.
AMRUT 2.0 is designed to provide universal coverage of water supply through functional taps to all households in all the statutory towns in the country and coverage of sewerage/septage management in 500 cities covered in the first phase of the AMRUT scheme.

Informing about AMRUT, the minister said that the state and UTs have grounded 813 projects worth Rs 2,999 crore, of which 739 projects worth Rs 1,864 crore have been completed, adding that this has resulted in the elimination of 3,416 water logging points and another 372 water logging points are in progress of elimination.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was launched on June 25, 2015, in selected 500 cities and towns across the country.

The mission focuses on the development of basic infrastructure in the selected cities and towns in the sectors of water supply, sewerage and septage management, stormwater drainage, green spaces and parks, and non-motorized urban transport. A set of urban reforms and capacity building have been included in the mission.

"Under AMRUT, urban and local bodies of states may take up projects of rainwater harvesting under the water supply sector as per their assessment or need. MoHUA approves state annual action plans submitted by the states. Under the stormwater drainage sector in AMRUT," Kishore mentioned in the reply.

Moreover, the minister said that 1,222 km of drains have been laid so far and 401 km of drains are under progress.

"The States and UTs have taken up 7 rainwater harvesting projects worth Rs 9.19 crore out of which 4 projects worth Rs 3.42 crore have been completed (one in Delhi and 3 in Lakshadweep) and 3 projects (Kerala) worth Rs 5.77 crore are in progress," the written reply mentioned.