Jharkhand first state in country to get approval of all projects under AMRUT 2.0.

Ranchi, March 21: Chief Minister Hemant Soren guidance helped state urban development department to get all its project approval from the Union government  for AMRUT 2.0. 
Jharkhand has become the first state in the whole country to get approval of all its schemes under AMRUT 2.0. 

The objectives set by Jharkhand under AMRUT 2.0 are providing free drinking water to every household in the urban area, waste water management in seven major cities of the state, rejuvenation of water sources in all the bodies and to develop greenery by 2025-26. Ramgarh, Simdega, Lohardaga, Gumla, Jamtara, Barharwa, Barkisariya, Bachra, Chhatarpur, Hariharganj, Vanshidhar, Dhanwar, Mahagama, Domchanch, Kapali and Vishrampur have joined the municipal bodies to be benefited under AMRUT 2.0.

In order to strengthen water supply and other urban resources in 500 cities of the country, the Central Government has approved 100 percent schemes of the Jharkhand government for the recently launched Atal Renewal and Urban Transformation Mission (AMRUT) 2.0. In the first phase, a total of six states had sent the proposal, in which Jharkhand is the first state, whose plans have been approved first. With the approval of these schemes, the water supply system of 16 municipal bodies of the state will be improved. Along with this, work will also be accelerated in the area of waste water management in seven Amrut cities.

Under the guidance of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, under the leadership of Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh, a state-level high powered steering committee has been constituted for the selection of schemes to be sent by the state government for AMRUT 2.0. This committee had given the green signal to the schemes, after which the schemes were sent to the Centre. Significantly, Chief Minister is sensitive about the supply of drinking water from tap water to every house in the urban area and this is the reason that the meter connection in every house has already been made free. The state government has already announced free water supply to the families using water in controlled quantities, irrespective of the scheme under which water connection is available.

A tripartite agreement was signed in September 2021 between the state government, the central government and the municipal bodies under the guidelines received under the AMRUT 2.0 mission. The City Water Balance Plan was prepared and sent to the Government of India by January 2022 through an online portal by 50 municipal bodies of the state and Ramgarh Cantonment Board. City Water Action Plan was prepared by 16 municipal bodies of the state, where citizens were deprived of drinking water supply. While making this action plan public, a State Water Action Plan was also prepared, which was approved by the State Level High Powered Steering Committee.

There is a plan to provide free water in the form of tap water to 190000 houses in 16 municipal bodies of the state. More than 900000 people will be benefited from these schemes. The plans will include the use of innovative technologies such as SCADA, GIS and sensors. The state has received Rs.1178 crore as the contribution amount of the Center under AMRUT 2.0. The schemes for which approval has been received in the first phase will cost a total of Rs 1122 crore, in which the contribution of the central as well as the state government is there. From the approval of the schemes to the progress, the Secretary, Urban Development and Housing Department, Shri Vinay Kumar Choubey himself is monitoring the progress. He gave necessary instructions and guidance to Shri Amit Kumar, Director, State Urban Development Agency.