AMRUT overhauling working of municipal system

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) has received good response from state and municipal governments since its launch. The mission that is expected to benefit more than 22 crore population in 500 cities has a series of reforms linked. Skilling of municipal workforce to handle the present and evolving challenges is an integral part of the Mission. After the success of the scheme, the announcement of AMRUT Plus is a welcome step and will give impetus to government’s efforts to improve basic civic services in our cities

Cities in India are not only growing in terms of population but also in size. Skyscrapers are pushing cities upward and new transportation systems extending them outward. To improve the physical infrastructure and bring technological advances in service delivery mechanism, the government launched the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) in June 2015.
The main objective of the Mission was to improve access to water supply, sewerage, urban transport and parks. This was intended to improve the quality of life for all especially the poor and the marginalised. The focus of the Mission is on infrastructure creation in these areas.The Mission covers covering 500 cities that includes all cities and towns with a population of over one lakh with notified Municipalities.Total outlay for AMRUT is Rs. 50,000 crores for five years from FY 2015-16 to FY 2019-20 and the Mission and is being operated as Central Sponsored Scheme. The project fund is divided among States/UTs in an equitable formula in which 50:50 weightage is being given to the urban population of each State/UT and number of statutory towns.
Capacity building is one of the main components of the scheme in which our institute is playing a significant role. With introduction of new technology in all spheres of urban management, it has become imperative to improve the capacity of municipal workforce without which any program or project of the government to transform cities cannot become successful.
All India Institute of Local Self-Government is conducting training programs and exposure visits for the municipal officials and elected representatives in more than 15 states of the country. Over 5000 municipal officials have already been trained under this program.
It is a matter of pride to mention that AIILSG has trained maximum municipal officials in India as compared to other 35 empanelled agencies. This could become possible because of our spread and reach in remotest corners of the country. Our institute will try to give its 100 per cent to improve the coverage of the scheme and train more municipal officials thus committing to our vision of empowering urban local bodies and local governance in India.
Progress under AMRUT
The government released the details of the progress made under AMRUT and the fund utilized under the scheme. According to government data, out of State Annual Action Plan (SAAP) size of Rs 77,640 cr, projects worth Rs 65,075 cr (84%) are under various stages of implementation including projects tendered and where Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) have been approved. A total of Rs 11,945 cr has been released so far. Close to 400 projects worth Rs 325 cr have already been completed and for 2188 projects worth Rs 40,074 cr, contracts have been awarded and are at various stages of implementation. Further, 895 projects costing Rs.13,586 cr are under tendering and for 729 projects costing Rs10,824 cr DPRs have been approved.
Further, 8.58 lakh water tap connections have been provided so far under the Mission and by convergence of other schemes. By the end of the Mission, i.e. June 2020, nearly 1.4 cr water taps will be provided across the country.
37 lakh street lights have been replaced with energy efficient LED lights. Around 322 green spaces and parks projects have been completed under the Mission.
A Single Window clearance system has been implemented in Delhi and Mumbai for construction permits, where only 8 procedures and less than 60 days are required for all approvals. Online Building Permission Systems (OBPS) is operational in 370 Mission cities and is under various stages of implementation in remaining cities.
Success Stories from Indian cities
Many cities in India have done excellent work under the Mission and have come up with innovative solutions to solve the problem of running crucial civic service system. In the times when cities in India are facing a huge problem of water crisis, wastage of water through leakage of underground pipes is a big challenge. Leak detection in water-supply network using Ground Microphone Methodology by Kerala Water Authority is one of the solutions that can address the problem
without using conventional open excavation method.
The solution helps to find out the exact leak location using the Ground Microphone Methodology.
According to a report presented by R Girija, Mission Director (AMRUT) of Kerala, the technique involves positioning the microphone on the ground at intervals along the line of the pipe and noting changes in sound amplification as the microphone nears the leak position.
The accuracy and the time to identify the leak point, depends greatly on the detection skills of the personnel. Hence, strong analytical skills and sharp judgement skills are extremely important. An experienced expert can distinguish water leakage sound from other background disturbances and environmental noises by correlating his past experiences with the present situation.
This is one example of innovation by the city to improve efficiency in service delivery. There are several such stories which can be shared with other municipal corporations for creating a robust and effective urban
management systems.