AMRUT progress slow, key targets unmet: Parliamentary panel report

The mission continues to fall short of several core infrastructure goals, the parliamentary standing committee on housing and urban affairs said in the report

Sluggish progress under both phases of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) has left key targets in drinking water supply, wastewater treatment and urban water governance largely unmet, a parliamentary standing committee report tabled in Parliament on Friday said.

AMRUT progress slow, key targets unmet: Parliamentary panel report

Despite being in force for a decade since its launch in 2015, the mission, overseen by the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA), continues to fall short of several core infrastructure goals, the parliamentary standing committee on housing and urban affairs said in the report.

On the drinking water front, the committee, headed by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, noted that while AMRUT supported the construction of 134 new water treatment plants with a capacity of 4,626 MLD, a shortfall of 1,189 MLD persists against planned targets. Under AMRUT 2.0, which began in October 2021, 133 water treatment plants have been approved, but only two have been completed so far — amounting to less than 1% of sanctioned capacity.

Another pressing concern flagged in the report is the widening gap between sewage generation and treatment. India produces 48,003 MLD of sewage daily, but has treatment capacity for only 30,000 MLD, of which merely 55.9% is actually utilised.

Beyond capacity, the report also pointed to stark disparities in access, project delays and weak regulatory oversight.

States like Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and several northeastern regions have negligible or severely underperforming sewage treatment systems. Even high-capacity states such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh face deficits exceeding 2,000 MLD, the report said.

Coverage of piped water supply varies widely across states. While Punjab, Gujarat, Telangana and Puducherry report over 90% household access, major states such as Uttar Pradesh (44%), Jharkhand (35%), and Assam (16%) lag significantly behind, it added.

The committee also questioned the adequacy of funding for the marquee mission, comparing it against the projections of the 2011 High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) on Indian Urban Infrastructure and Services led by economist Isher Judge Ahluwalia. “Combined, ₹1,61,814 crore has been sanctioned for water supply across both missions, addressing about 51% of the HPEC-projected investment of ₹3.2 lakh crore. The committee observe that while AMRUT has led to a notable scaling-up of investments in urban water supply infrastructure, the total sanctioned amount still meets only about half of the requirement projected by HPEC for the 20-year period 2012–2031, which is set to conclude in the next five to six years,” the report said.

Further, the panel observed that inadequate operational and maintenance support not only limits the effectiveness of capital investments, but also undermines the long-term sustainability of infrastructure in the absence of central assistance. Given that urban local bodies (ULBs) have limited financial and institutional capacity, the committee recommended that MoHUA conduct a comprehensive assessment of state-level water sector investments to gauge cumulative progress toward HPEC targets and ensure enhanced central and multilateral funding support to underserved regions.

The committee also raised concern over groundwater depletion. “Only 678 out of 3,032 sanctioned water body rejuvenation projects have been completed, amounting to just around 22%, reflecting significant delays. Moreover, despite the extensive mapping of water bodies, rejuvenation plans have so far been prepared for only about 10.5% of them under AMRUT 2.0, highlighting a disconnect between data collection and follow-through action.that only 22% of the 3,032 water bodies approved for rejuvenation under AMRUT 2.0 have been completed,” the report said

Although these projects aid groundwater recharge, most restored water bodies do not directly contribute to potable supply, it added.

The panel further noted that despite the 74th Constitutional Amendment mandating decentralisation, ULBs still lack real authority, with parastatal agencies dominating planning and implementation. As a result, community participation remains limited, and citizens are often unaware of projects undertaken in their localities, the report added.

The committee urged the ministry to accelerate project execution, strengthen monitoring, and establish clear national benchmarks for water supply and quality—warning that without urgent reforms, urban India’s water insecurity will deepen further.