AMRUT was inaugurated on 25 July 2015, targeting 500 cities with a specific focus as India’s pioneering national water Mission. The primary goal is to achieve universal water supply coverage by installing 1.39 crore household tap connections and to increase sewerage / septage connections from 31% to 62% thereby providing 1.45 crore new connections.
The overarching objectives of AMRUT included the development of city-wide concept plans, service level improvement plans, financial plans and a clear city vision. These plans covered key urban development areas such as water supply, sewerage and septage management, storm water drainage, urban transport and the maintenance of open spaces, such as parks and playgrounds. A major focus was also placed on achieving defined service level benchmarks to ensure the sustainable success of the mission.
In Madhya Pradesh, the program initially included 34 ULBs with populations exceeding one lakh. The State focused on strategic areas with 11 reforms mandated under AMRUT. The implementation arrangement was set up in such a way that The Directorate of Urban Administration & Development, supported by the ULBs, served as the nodal agency responsible for overseeing the project’s execution, such as liaising with MoHUA, the Government of India (GoI) on all issues and implementing all institutional reforms and management of projects. The state and ULBs engaged PDMCs to strengthen their program management capabilities. These consultants provided comprehensive support across various domains including planning, surveying, engineering design, construction supervision, quality management, measurement & billing, and contract management.
Madhya Pradesh (MP), the second largest state by area and fifth by population in India is also ranked as the eighth most urbanized state. Despite its rapid urban growth, which has seen its urban population surpass those of rural areas over the last decade, MP’s urbanization rate remains below the national average. However, projections indicate that it will align with the national trend within the next 15 years. According to the 2011 census MP’s total urban population stands at 20.1 million , constituting 28% of its total population. The state comprises 413 municipal bodies, including 16 Municipal Corporations (Nagar Palik Nigams), 99 Municipal Councils (Nagar Palik Parishads), and 298 Nagar Parishads. Among the 16 municipal corporations, four cities - Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, and Gwalior – are classified as million-plus cities in terms of population.
Rapid urbanization in MP has seen sprouting of new urban settlements across the state, more often close to existing cities. The decade from 2001 to 2011 marked significant urban development with a 20% increase in the number of urban centers and a 50% rise in census towns, significantly higher than the 6% increase noted in the previous decade (1991-2001). This period also witnessed a substantial population boom in its four largest urban agglomerations, including Bhopal and Indore.
Urban infrastructure, however, varies widely across the state:
- Household access to piped water supply is reported between 48-80%.
- Per capita water supply ranges between 35 to 150 liters per day.
- Access to underground sewerage systems ranges from none to 40%.
- Waste collection efficiency is relatively high between 85-90%.
- Effective drainage of rainwater is achieved in 60-80% of
This mixed landscape of urban growth and infrastructure development in MP presents both challenges and opportunities as the state continues to expand and modernize under the AMRUT initiative.