AMRUT 2.0: A Comprehensive Review of India’s Urban Water Transformation Mission

Abstract

Urban India is undergoing one of the fastest demographic transitions in the world, creating substantial pressure on water supply systems, wastewater management, stormwater infrastructure, and urban environmental quality. While the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), launched in 2015, made progress in expanding water supply and sewerage networks in 500 cities, significant gaps remained in universal service delivery, sustainability, and urban resilience. In 2021, the Government of India launched AMRUT 2.0, an expanded version of the programme with a stronger emphasis on water security, non-revenue water (NRW) reduction, decentralised wastewater treatment, digital governance, and nature-based urban interventions.

This review paper synthesises the mission’s objectives, components, funding structures, implementation frameworks, innovations, and early outcomes. It provides a detailed assessment of case studies from India and global urban water programmes to situate AMRUT 2.0 within broader discourses on integrated water management, climate resilience, and sustainable urban development. The analysis highlights the mission’s strengths—universal water coverage, multi-scalar wastewater treatment, digital platforms, blue–green infrastructure, and reform-driven financing—while identifying persistent challenges such as institutional capacity, funding gaps, technological readiness, socio-spatial inequalities, and climate risks. The paper concludes with recommendations to strengthen AMRUT 2.0’s long-term impact, emphasising governance reforms, nature-based strategies, financial sustainability, and community participation.