1. Amrit Sarovar Mission
- GS Paper – 2 Government Policies & Interventions
Why in the news?
The Union government has directed the Ministry of Railways and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to use soil/silt excavated from Amrit Sarovar Mission ponds/tanks in all districts across the country for infrastructural projects.
What exactly is the Amrit Sarovar Mission?
About:
- The Amrit Sarovar Mission was begun on April 24, 2022, with the goal of conserving water for the future.
Aim:
- As part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, the Mission aims to develop and revitalise 75 water bodies in each district in the country.
- It would result in the production of 50,000 water bodies the size of an acre or more.
- The Mission promotes the mobilisation of citizen and non-governmental resources to augment these efforts.
Involved Ministries:
- This mission was launched with a whole-government approach, involving six Ministries/Departments:
- Rural Development Department
- Land Resources Department
- Drinking Water and Sanitation Department
- Water Resources Department
- Panchayati Raj Ministry
- Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Ministry
Technical Collaboration:
- The Mission’s technical partner is the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N).
Various Schemes for Refocusing:
- The Mission operates through states and districts, emphasising several initiatives such as Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, XV Finance Commission Grants, PMKSY sub-schemes such as Watershed Development Component and Har Khet Ko Pani, as well as state-specific schemes.
Target:
- Mission Amrit Sarovar is scheduled to be completed on August 15, 2023.
- Around 50,000 Amrit Sarovars could be built in the country.
- Each of these Amrit Sarovars will cover around one acre and have a water capacity of 10,000 cubic metres.
- The primary point is people’s participation in the Mission.
- Local liberation fighters, their families, Martyrs’ families, Padma Awardees, and inhabitants of the area where an Amrit Sarovar is to be built would be involved at all stages.
- Every 15th of August, a National Flag hoisting ceremony will be held at each Amrit Sarovar location.
Achievements:
- So far, States/Districts have finalised 12,241 sites for Amrit Sarovar construction, with 4,856 Amrit Sarovars already under construction.
