Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal announced that work on 57 projects totaling approximately ₹1727.36 crores under AMRUT 2.0 is set to commence. These projects include 48 water supply projects amounting to ₹1443.74 crores and 9 sewage plans costing ₹283.62 crores. Out of these, work on 22 projects will kick off soon.
The Chief Secretary chaired a meeting of the State High Powered Steering Committee, focusing on the successful implementation of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0, particularly the road map for urban areas.
He mentioned that the State Water Action Plan-11 prepared by the Health Department will be submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). Additionally, the Local Urban Body Department aims to achieve 50% availability through property taxes, user charges, trade licenses, etc. An effective system will also be implemented for grievance redressal.
Emphasizing the objectives of Amrit 2.0, the Chief Secretary outlined initiatives such as water conservation, a 20% reduction in non-revenue water, recycling treated water in urban and industrial sectors, rejuvenating water bodies, providing 24x7 water supply through pipeline connections, developing green spaces and parks, offering water and sewage connections, facilitating electric vehicle charging for cities with a population of 50,000, installing PPP projects in cities with a population of one million, community participation, enhancing energy efficiency, and implementing schemes for town planning and local area planning.
The Chief Secretary highlighted plans to recycle sewage water in 40 industrial areas of 20 cities in the state, particularly focusing on sectors like horticulture. Panchkula and Gurugram have been selected for this purpose, with additional support for water reuse in industrial areas of Kharkhoda, Yamunanagar, and Kurukshetra. The modified water will also be used in Yamunanagar's thermal plant. Scientific testing will be conducted to examine the benefits of water reuse for growing vegetables and crops, aiming to benefit more people in this sector.