water supply
India's government has allocated Rs 66,750 crore to the AMRUT 2.0 scheme, aiming for universal sewerage coverage and water body rejuvenation in 500 citiesrepresentational

The Indian government has made a major move towards enhancing water security and making cities self-sufficient by allocating Rs 66,750 crore to the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 scheme. Launched on October 1, 2021, the initiative aims to ensure universal sewerage and septage management in 500 AMRUT cities. Additionally, it focuses on the restoration of water bodies, the creation of green spaces and parks, and the implementation of a technology sub-mission to harness advanced technologies in water management.

Out of the total allocation, Rs 63,976.77 crore has already been approved for the states/UTs, and Rs 11,756.13 crore has been released so far. The states/UTs have reported utilisation of Rs 6,539.45 crore of the central share. Cumulatively, with the state's share, the total expenditure reported by the states/UTs is Rs 17,089 crore, and works worth Rs 23,016.30 crore have been physically completed. The total indicative outlay for AMRUT 2.0 is Rs 2,99,000 crore, including total central assistance of Rs 76,760 crore for five years.

 

However, the implementation of such large-scale projects is not without challenges. For instance, in Chandigarh, despite having a high number of senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, the city struggles to get even routine projects off the ground. The transformation of a project from planning stage to implementation stage is often blocked by the city's governance system, the inter-state coordination and planning, the tenure of its decision makers and planners, the gestation period of UT proposals sent to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) and a general adhocism in its functioning.

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India's government has allocated Rs 66,750 crore to the AMRUT 2.0 scheme, aiming for universal sewerage coverage and water body rejuvenation in 500 citiesPixabay

In the international context, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of a real risk of nuclear war if the West sent troops to Ukraine during an annual address to the nation two weeks ahead of the presidential election. He stressed that "our state and socio-political system must be strong and resistant to any threats and challenges, ensuring the progressive and stable development, as well as the unity and independence of our country."

In the environmental sector, Bhutan announced that by 2020 it would be able to produce 10,000 megawatts of electricity from hydropower. However, the country is able to generate less than a quarter of this target. The story of why the country has failed to achieve the 10,000 MW target is one of a complex combination of geological, administrative and financial problems. As the evidence mounts that the impacts of climate change necessitate a rethink of dam project design, Bhutan remains wedded to hydropower, generating nearly all of its electricity in this way.