Bhubaneswar:
Odisha has retained its top position in implementation of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, a state minister said on Monday.
The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015 to establish an infrastructure that would ensure robust sewage networks and water supply for urban transformation.
According to the ranking of the states released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Odisha has retained its first position by securing a score of 85.67 per cent, Urban Development Minister Pratap Jena said.
Chandigarh and Telangana have secured the second and third positions followed by Gujarat and Karnataka, he said.
Since the inception of the mission, efforts have been made towards universal coverage of water supply, construction of sewage treatment plants and improving green spaces in the nine AMRUT cities of Odisha.
Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Baripada, Balasore, Bhadrak, Berhampur and Puri are covered under the AMRUT scheme in the coastal state.
Out of the total 191 projects grounded in the state, 148 projects have been implemented and the rest are likely to be completed within the deadline of March 2021, Jena said.
Universal coverage of piped water supply has been completed by laying or replacing 400 kilometres of pipeline till date and all the nine AMRUT cities will have 100 per cent network coverage by December this year, the minister said.
Parks with well-conceived landscaping and rejuvenation facilities, open gyms and jogging trails have been developed.
“Through these projects, we are able to provide clean drinking water, avoid contamination, especially in rehabilitation colonies, and increase the number of children- friendly green parks in the city,” the minister said.
