Jal Hi Amrit scheme gets approved by Union Government under AMRUT 2.0

A new scheme named Jal Hi Amrit, under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0, has been approved by the central government. The scheme aims to incentivise state governments and union territories to ensure the reuse of good quality treated wastewater through the efficient use of water and sewage treatment plants (STPs) in rural and urban areas. Additionally, the scheme is expected to enable competition among cities. Around 140 STPs with a total capacity of 5,000 million litres per day (mld) have been identified. STPs will be rewarded on the basis of their size and performance under a clean water credit system framework (valid for six months). The reward amount ranges from Rs 2.5 million for three-star STPs with a capacity of less than 5 mld, to Rs 80 million for five-star rated STPs with at least 100 mld capacity. Moreover, around 68 projects costing around Rs 30.2 billion, and 41 projects costing approximately Rs 38.05 billion are proposed to be completed in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, under AMRUT 2.0. In addition, the inauguration and laying of foundation stones for 263 projects worth Rs 93.52 billion is targeted to be completed.