Parliamentary Panel Report on AMRUT Mission

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs has raised serious concerns over the implementation of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), pointing out that even after nearly a decade of execution, several key targets related to urban water supply, sewerage, and wastewater management remain unmet. The report, tabled in Parliament in December 2025, calls for urgent reforms in urban water governance, financing mechanisms, and institutional capacity-building.

What is the AMRUT Mission?

AMRUT is a flagship centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched in 2015 to address India’s urban infrastructure deficit.

Key Focus Areas of AMRUT

• Universal urban water supply

• Sewerage and septage management

• Stormwater drainage

• Development of green spaces and parks

• Promotion of non-motorised transport (NMT)

To strengthen water security and sustainability, AMRUT 2.0 was launched in October 2021 with greater emphasis on wastewater reuse, rejuvenation of water bodies, and city-level water planning.

Key Findings of the Parliamentary Panel Report

1. Drinking Water Supply: Targets Still Unmet

The committee observed that although AMRUT has supported the construction of 134 water treatment plants with a capacity of 4,626 million litres per day (MLD), there remains a shortfall of nearly 1,189 MLD against planned targets.

Under AMRUT 2.0, 133 water treatment plants have been approved, but only two plants have been completed so far, amounting to less than 1% of the sanctioned capacity. This reflects delays in execution and weak project monitoring.

2. Widening Gap Between Sewage Generation and Treatment

One of the most alarming findings of the report relates to urban sewage management.

• Daily sewage generation in urban India: ~48,004 MLD

• Installed sewage treatment capacity: ~30,001 MLD (2021)

• Actual utilisation: Around 56%

Large volumes of untreated sewage continue to be discharged into rivers, lakes, and groundwater systems, posing serious public health and environmental risks.

3. Inter-State Disparities in Urban Infrastructure

The committee highlighted stark regional disparities in both water supply and sewerage infrastructure.

• States like Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and several northeastern states have negligible or severely underperforming sewage treatment facilities.

• Even relatively advanced states such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh face sewage treatment deficits exceeding 2,000 MLD.

• Piped water supply coverage ranges from over 90% in Punjab, Gujarat, Telangana, and Puducherry to as low as 16% in Assam.

4. Inadequate Financing and O&M Challenges

The committee questioned the adequacy of funding under AMRUT by comparing it with projections of the High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) on Urban Infrastructure (2011).

• Total funds sanctioned for water supply under AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0: ₹1.61 lakh crore

• HPEC-estimated requirement for 2012–2031: ₹3.2 lakh crore

The report noted that while AMRUT has increased investments in urban water infrastructure, it still addresses only about 50% of the projected requirement. Further, the absence of assured Operation and Maintenance (O&M) funding threatens the long-term sustainability of created assets.

Weak Urban Governance and Limited Role of ULBs

Despite the 74th Constitutional Amendment, the committee found that Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) remain weak in financial and administrative terms. Planning and execution are largely controlled by state parastatals and special purpose vehicles (SPVs), limiting local accountability and citizen participation.

As a result:

• Community awareness of projects remains low

• Feedback mechanisms are weak

• Local priorities are often ignored

Groundwater Depletion and Water Body Rejuvenation

The panel expressed concern over slow progress in water body rejuvenation:

• Out of 3,032 approved water body projects, only 678 (about 22%) have been completed.

• Under AMRUT 2.0, rejuvenation plans have been prepared for only 10.5% of mapped water bodies.

While such projects aid groundwater recharge, most do not directly augment potable water supply, highlighting the need for integrated water planning.

Key Recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee

1. Strengthening Financing

• Increase central and multilateral funding (World Bank, ADB).

• Promote municipal bonds and PPP models.

• Create a dedicated O&M fund for AMRUT assets.

2. Institutional Reforms

• Strengthen technical and financial capacity of ULBs.

• Ensure 100% submission of City Water Action Plans (CWAPs).

• Conduct national-level urban water demand forecasting for the next 25–30 years.

3. Improving Sewage and Wastewater Management

• Formulate a National Urban Wastewater Reuse Policy.

• Promote reuse–recycle models for treated wastewater.

• Accelerate construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs).

4. Better Monitoring and Data Systems

• Reduce Non-Revenue Water (NRW) through smart metering.

• Establish national benchmarks for water supply quality and coverage.

• Strengthen real-time monitoring and data transparency.

Way Forward

The Parliamentary Panel’s report makes it clear that AMRUT is a necessary but incomplete reform initiative. For the mission to succeed, India must move beyond asset creation to focus on:

• Empowered and accountable ULBs

• Data-driven and climate-resilient urban water planning

• Financial self-reliance of cities

• Integrated governance across urban schemes

Conclusion

Without urgent reforms in governance, financing, and institutional capacity, India’s urban water crisis is likely to worsen. If redesigned as a citizen-centric, climate-sensitive, and financially sustainable mission, AMRUT can evolve into a transformative framework for urban water security and sustainable urban development.

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