Tap water coverage in urban areas jumps 64% since 2011
NEW DELHI: The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and its second phase AMRUT 2.0 have delivered a series of achievements.
Since 2011, tap water coverage in urban areas increased from 49% in 2011 to around 77%. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), 228 lakh tap connections have been provided so far. It has also added 20 lakh sewer connections, rejuvenated 7,480 acres of water bodies, and developed 2,704 acres of green space.
After its launch in 2015, under AMRUT, 6,008 projects at a total cost of Rs 83,470.84 crore were approved. Of these, works worth Rs 80,808 crore have been completed, with Rs 74,150 crore already spent. Under AMRUT 2.0, which was introduced in 2021, Rs 7,022 crore has been sanctioned as the Central share in the financial year 2025–26, of which Rs 4,870 crore has been utilised. Actual expenditure on AMRUT 2.0 projects in the current financial year has already reached Rs 13,400 crore.
Nearly 9,000 projects worth Rs 1.89 lakh crore including operations and maintenance cost were apprved Under AMRUT 2.0.
“Through the Mission and its convergence with other schemes, 228 lakh tap connections have been provided, along with 20 lakh sewer connections, including coverage under Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM). Around 6,000 megalitres per day (MLD) of treated water is now being reused across states and UTs,” said ministry officials.
Under the ‘Jal Hi Amrit’ initiative, 25 states and UTs have established Water Resource Recovery Cells (WRRCs) to enhance treated water and biosolids management. The AMRUT Mitra initiative has engaged over 28,000 women self-help group members to support water demand management, quality monitoring, billing, and plant maintenance.
The mission has also led to the rejuvenation of 7,480 acres of water bodies and development of 2,704 acres of green space. AMRUT 2.0 aims to provide basic urban services to households and build amenities in cities for improving the quality of life for all especially the urban poor and disadvantaged people as a national importance with the foremost priority of making cities water secure.
It envisages providing assured supply of 2.68 crore new household tap water connections and universal household coverage of sewerage or septage services in 500 selected cities with 2.64 crore new sewer connections.