Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)

At a Glance

• Launch 25 June 2015
• Ministry Housing and Urban Affairs
• Phase I 500 cities, Rs 50,000 crore central outlay
• AMRUT 2.0 1 October 2021, all statutory towns, five years
• Focus Water supply, sewerage, green spaces, urban reforms
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs and Government Schemes: Urban Development Schemes

Where Does It Fit?

This is the first topic of the macro on urban development. It was launched on the same day as the Smart Cities Mission and PMAY-U, and it deals with the pipes, tanks and drains that cities need. The water side of the mission is repeated for the later macro as AMRUT 2.0 (Water Security). Previous topic: Rurban Mission and Integrated Watershed Management Programme. Next topic: Smart Cities Mission.

What Are AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0?

How Does the Mission Work?

• Centrally Sponsored: the Centre gives a share of the project cost, which varies by city size, with higher help for the north-eastern and hill states and smaller cities
• State Annual Action Plan: states prepare plans for the cities, and the Centre approves them and releases funds in instalments
• Service level benchmarks: cities are measured against fixed targets for water supply and sewerage
• Reforms: a set of reforms such as e-governance, municipal accounting, credit rating, property tax improvement and water tariff changes
• Credit rating: cities with good ratings can raise money through municipal bonds, as in the incentive for issuing bonds
• Pey Jal Survekshan: an annual survey in AMRUT 2.0 that ranks cities on water services
• Reuse of water: AMRUT 2.0 aims to reuse treated used water for about 20 per cent of city water demand
• Technology: the Technology Sub-Mission and a start-up challenge on water technology

What Else Should You Remember?

• Naming: The mission is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and is named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as in the full name Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
• Reason: Cities had poor tap coverage, much non-revenue water and large untreated sewage flows, and AMRUT was meant to set a basic floor
• Project types: water supply, sewerage and septage, storm water drains, non-motorised transport, parks and green spaces
• Financing: The mission rewarded cities that moved to a better financial base, which was a first for a central urban scheme
• Water+ and ODF+: The mission was linked with the Swachh Bharat Mission through Water+ certification, as in Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U)
• Women: AMRUT 2.0 has a programme to engage women self-help groups in water testing and related work
• Status: AMRUT 2.0 is in its closing years in 2026, with Ministry reviews asking states to finish works. Check current notices for extension
• Smart Cities link: Cities that were part of the Smart Cities Mission also drew on the mission for core services, as in Smart Cities Mission
• Challenges: Slow works, low tariffs, weak municipal finance, lack of skilled staff and groundwater stress in many cities
• Impact: Millions of tap connections and sewer connections have been reported by the Ministry, so use dated figures when quoting them

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

1. Launch: 25 June 2015, 500 cities, MoHUA
2. Name: Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
3. Phase II: AMRUT 2.0 from 1 October 2021, all statutory towns
4. Features: Water, sewerage, Pey Jal Survekshan, reuse of water
5. Links: Same launch day as Smart Cities and PMAY-U

As an analytical point, urban water security needs more than pipes. Leakage, free or low tariffs and sewage without treatment keep services weak. Reform linked funding, as in AMRUT, is a good model if it is enforced and tied to measured service levels.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Basic services Water and sewerage
• Reform link Funds tied to reforms
• Phase II Wider coverage

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the mission that tried to build model cities with technology and area based plans. Next topic: Smart Cities Mission.

Key People and Terms

• Non-revenue water Water lost or not billed
• Sewerage System to carry used water
• Septage Sludge from septic tanks
• Pey Jal Survekshan Water services survey
• ULB Urban local body
• SAAP State Annual Action Plan

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask about urban water security and municipal finance. These points give a balanced frame.

• Gains Tap and sewer coverage, reform incentives
• Gaps Leakage, weak finance, slow projects
• Way ahead Tariffs, reuse, groundwater care, capacity