Amrit Sarovar Mission

Why in News?

• The target of 50,000 Amrit Sarovars was recently set to be completed by August 15, 2023. So far, 60% of the target has been achieved with over 30,000 Amrit Sarovars constructed in the span of 9 months.

Highlights

• On April 24, 2022, Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched as part of India’s “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” celebrations for the 75th year of independence.
• The mission aims to construct/rejuvenate at least 75 Amrit Sarovars in each district across India to overcome the water crisis in rural areas.
• Six central government Ministries are working together in conjunction with technical organisations like Bhaskaracharya National Institute of Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG-N) and state/union territory governments in a “Whole of Government” approach.
• Six ministries are Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
• The Ministries of Railways and Road Transport and Highways are using the excavated soil/silt for infrastructure projects near the Amrit Sarovar sites.
• Also, Public and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) bodies are playing a significant role in the construction and rejuvenation of several Amrit Sarovars across India
• The completed Sarovars are boosting rural livelihoods by being used for activities such as irrigation, fisheries, duckery, cultivation of water chestnut and animal husbandry, among others.
• These activities are carried out by different user groups linked to each Amrit Sarovar.