Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation is a centrally sponsored urban infrastructure programme launched on 25 June 2015 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
It was designed to improve basic services in cities, especially:
- water supply
- sewerage and septage management
- storm-water drainage
- urban green spaces and parks
- non-motorised urban transport
The central idea of AMRUT is to improve the quality of life in urban areas by ensuring basic civic infrastructure, especially water and sanitation.
AMRUT 1.0
AMRUT was initially launched for 500 selected cities and towns. Its focus was on creating basic urban infrastructure, particularly household water connections and sewerage networks.
Its main priorities were:
- universal access to water supply in mission cities
- sewerage and septage management
- storm-water drainage to reduce urban flooding
- parks and green spaces
- pedestrian and non-motorised transport infrastructure
AMRUT 1.0 marked a shift from project-based urban schemes to a more mission-based approach for urban service delivery.
AMRUT 2.0
AMRUT 2.0 was launched on 1 October 2021 for the period up to 2025–26.
It expanded the mission from selected cities to all statutory towns in India. The objective is to make cities water secure and move towards universal coverage of water supply.
The total indicative outlay for AMRUT 2.0 is ₹2,77,000 crore. It targets universal water supply coverage by providing household tap connections in 4,378 statutory towns.
Its major focus areas are:
- universal water supply in all statutory towns
- sewerage and septage management in 500 AMRUT cities
- rejuvenation of water bodies
- development of parks and green spaces
- technology-based water management
- circular economy of water through reuse and recycling
Latest Status
As per the latest available official updates:
- Under AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0 together, 238 lakh urban tap connections have been provided so far.
- Under AMRUT, 1,403 water-supply projects worth around ₹43,359.6 crore have been grounded.
- Under AMRUT 2.0, 3,528 water-supply projects worth ₹1,19,636.49 crore have been approved in 2,484 urban local bodies.
- A March 2026 update placed the approved AMRUT 2.0 water-supply projects at 3,531 projects worth ₹1,19,670.51 crore.
- In the last ten years, AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0 together have provided 2.03 crore tap connections and 1.50 crore sewer connections. Projects worth ₹2.73 lakh crore have been sanctioned, and works worth ₹1.12 lakh crore have been completed.
- Under the street-lighting component, 99 lakh LED streetlights have been installed, saving 666 crore kWh of electricity and reducing around 46 lakh tonnes of CO₂ annually.
AMRUT Mitra
AMRUT Mitra is a community participation initiative under AMRUT 2.0 that involves women’s Self-Help Groups in water and sanitation governance.
As of March 2026:
- more than 45,000 SHG members were actively engaged
- they were working across 1,910 cities
- the Ministry announced a vision to expand the model to 5,000 cities
This is important because it links urban infrastructure with livelihood generation and community monitoring.
Significance
AMRUT is important because Indian cities face serious gaps in water supply, sewerage, drainage and urban environmental quality.
Its significance lies in:
- expanding household tap-water access in urban areas
- improving sewerage and septage management
- reducing dependence on unsafe water sources
- supporting urban health and sanitation
- reducing urban flooding through drainage works
- improving green spaces and liveability
- strengthening urban local bodies through reforms
- promoting water security in smaller towns, not only large cities
AMRUT 2.0 is especially important because India’s urbanisation is now spreading rapidly into small and medium towns, where municipal capacity is often weak.
Concerns
- Many cities still face intermittent water supply rather than reliable 24×7 supply.
- Sewer networks and sewage treatment often lag behind water-supply expansion.
- Urban local bodies have weak financial and technical capacity.
- Project execution varies widely across states and cities.
- Water-source sustainability is a challenge in water-stressed towns.
- Reuse of treated wastewater remains limited.
- Storm-water drainage is still inadequate in many flood-prone cities.
- Smaller towns often struggle with operation and maintenance after projects are completed.
Way Forward
AMRUT should focus not only on infrastructure creation but also on service delivery outcomes.
Cities need reliable water supply, metering, leakage reduction, groundwater recharge and reuse of treated wastewater. Sewerage projects should be linked with functioning treatment plants and safe disposal or reuse.
Urban local bodies need stronger finances, technical staff and maintenance capacity. Without this, assets created under AMRUT may not deliver long-term benefits.
AMRUT 2.0 should also be integrated with climate-resilient urban planning because cities are increasingly facing heat stress, water scarcity and urban flooding.
Conclusion
AMRUT is a major urban transformation programme focused on water supply, sewerage, drainage, green spaces and liveability. AMRUT 2.0 has expanded this approach to all statutory towns with a large outlay of ₹2.77 lakh crore.
The latest data shows significant progress in tap connections, sewer connections and sanctioned projects. The next challenge is to ensure that these assets translate into reliable, equitable and sustainable urban services.
