Mission Amrit Sarovar Rejuvenating Amrit Sarovars through Whole Government Approach

Mission Amrit Sarovar UPSC Relevance

Mission Amrit Sarovar: it is an initiative of the government to construct or rejuvenate at least 75 Amrit Sarovars in every district of the country.

Mission Amrit Sarovar is also important for UPSC Prelims 2023 Exam and UPSC Mains Exam (GS Paper 2- Governance, Administration and Challenges- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.)

Mission Amrit Sarovar in News

• The Mission Amrit Sarovar had initially planned a target to construct or rejuvenate 50,000 Amrit Sarovar ponds across India till 15th August 2023.
• Now, additional 50,000 Amrit Sarovar ponds will be constructed by 15th August 2023.

List of Water Conservation Campaigns and Schemes

Mission Amrit Sarovar 2022

• About: Mission Amrit Sarovar has been launched on 24^thApril 2022 with an objective to harvest and conserve water for future generation.
• Performance: As on 14.12.2022, the construction work has been started on 53,050 sites. The sites on which construction will start soon are 38,503.
• Description: Every Amrit Sarovar will have a pondage area of 1 acre with a water holding capacity of about 10,000 cubic metre.

• Implementation: The site of Amrit Sarovars will be approved by special Gram Sabha, which will also name Panchayat Partinidhi, who will on its behalf supervise development of Amrit Sarovar.
• Significance: The Mission Amrit Sarovar focuses on water conservation, people’s participation and proper utilization of soil excavated from the water bodies to boost infrastructural projects.

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Mission Amrit Sarovar Funding

• There is no separate financial allocation for Mission Amrit Sarovar.
• The Mission Amrit Sarovar works through the States and Districts with convergence from various ongoing schemes such as-
  • Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS),
  • 15th Finance Commission Grants,
  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichayi Yojna sub schemes such as Watershed Development Component, Har Khet ko Pani, besides States’ own scheme.
• Public contribution like crowd funding and Corporate Social Responsibility is also allowed for the work.

Salient Features of Amrit Sarovar Mission

The salient features of the Mission Amrit Sarovar is as follows-

• Participation: Mission Amrit Sarovar is based on “Whole of Government” approach with the participation from-
  • Ministry of Rural Development,
  • Ministry of Jal Shakti,
  • Ministry of Culture,
  • Ministry of Panchayati Raj,
  • Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and
  • Technical organizations- Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) has been engaged as technical partner for the Mission.
• Key Details: Under the Mission every district of the country will construct or rejuvenate at least 75 Amrit Sarovars.
  • Every Amrit Sarovar will have a pondage area of at least 1 acre with a water holding capacity of about 10,000 cubic metre.
  • Every Amrit Sarovar will be surrounded by trees like Neem, Peepal and Banyan etc.

Significance of Amrit Sarovar

• Every Amrit Sarovar will be a source of generation of livelihoods by using the water for different purposes like irrigation, fisheries, duckery, cultivation of water chestnut, water tourism and other activities.
• The Amrit Sarovar will also act as a social gathering point in that locality.
• Mission Amrit Sarovar is a visible manifestation of the action during Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• Every Amrit Sarovar site is a place for flag hoisting on every Independence Day. In Mission Amrit Sarovar, freedom fighters or their family members, martyrs’ family members, Padma awardees are associated.
• Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and other public agencies engaged for infrastructure project development are also engaged in the Mission for the purpose of use of soil/silt excavated out of the Amrit Sarovar.

Mission Amrit Sarovar FAQs

1. What is Mission Amrit Sarovar?

Ans. Mission Amrit Sarovar has been launched on 24thApril 2022 with an objective to harvest and conserve water for future generation.

2. How the Mission Amrit Sarovar is being funded?

Ans. There is no separate financial allocation for Mission Amrit Sarovar. The Mission Amrit Sarovar works through the States and Districts with convergence from various ongoing schemes.

3. What should be the dimensions of the Mission Amrit Sarovar.

Ans. Every Amrit Sarovar will have a pondage area of at least 1 acre with a water holding capacity of about 10,000 cubic metre.

India’s growing water crisis

India’s growing water crisis

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