Heavy rain once again flooded roads and disrupted traffic across Gurugram today, leaving schoolchildren stranded in some areas and putting the city's civic infrastructure back in focus.
With the city's infrastructure once again under scrutiny, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, today chaired a series of review meetings on the Gurugram Metro Connectivity Project, AMRUT 2.0 and CITIIS 2.0, with a focus on speeding up implementation and resolving bottlenecks.
Rs 71,133 Crore Sewerage Push, 394 Projects Underway
Sahu reviewed the implementation of AMRUT 2.0 and discussed the Ministry's response to observations made in the 10th Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs.
The Ministry said Rs 71,133 crore has been allocated for sewerage and septage infrastructure under AMRUT 2.0. This accounts for nearly 36% of the Mission's total approved project cost of Rs 1,97,191 crore.
While sewerage and septage projects account for around 6.8% of the total number of approved projects, the Ministry said they account for a much larger share of the overall investment.
A total of 394 sewerage projects worth around Rs 47,230 crore are currently under implementation.
Once completed, the projects are expected to provide new sewerage connections to around 48.76 lakh households, while another 60.59 lakh households are expected to benefit through upgrades and servicing.
The Ministry also addressed observations on the coverage of AMRUT 2.0. It said the Mission covers 500 cities, with around 7.41 crore urban households based on 2025 data reported by these cities.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee's assessment, however, considered around 4,900 urban cities and approximately 11.32 crore households, which the Ministry said was a wider universe than the Mission's defined coverage.
Based on data reported by AMRUT cities, the Ministry put the Mission's actual coverage at around 55%.
It also clarified that sewerage systems and on-site sanitation systems need not be treated as mutually exclusive and can coexist depending on local requirements and scientific planning.
Metro Project, Delays And Bottlenecks In Focus
Large urban infrastructure projects can face delays due to land-related issues, public objections, multiple departmental clearances and No Objection Certificates, the Ministry said. Many of these issues fall under the jurisdiction of state governments.
Sahu stressed the need for continued monitoring, closer coordination with states and urban local bodies, and timely resolution of bottlenecks. The focus, he said, must be on translating approved projects into tangible outcomes and ensuring that quality water and sanitation infrastructure reaches citizens.
The minister also reviewed the Metro Connectivity Project from Millennium City Centre to Cyber City in Gurugram, with a spur to the Dwarka Expressway. The project is being implemented by Gurugram Metro Rail Limited.
The review was held ahead of a PRAGATI meeting scheduled for the evening.
Officials briefed Sahu on the progress of the project, including planning, implementation and coordination among the agencies involved. He stressed the need for close coordination among all stakeholders and speedy resolution of issues to ensure timely progress.
Climate-Ready Cities, Bilaspur Waste Plan Also Reviewed
Sahu also reviewed the implementation and city-wise progress of CITIIS 2.0, including city-level actions and the progress of State Climate Cells.
The discussions focused on strengthening climate-responsive urban development. Proposed solid waste management processes and interventions for Bilaspur were also reviewed, with a focus on sustainable, efficient and scientifically planned waste management.
Sahu said strong inter-agency coordination, continuous monitoring and timely decision-making were essential to ensure that flagship urban missions translate into visible and measurable improvements in the lives of citizens.
Gurugram's flooded roads and traffic chaos have once again put the spotlight on the city's infrastructure. With major projects under review and thousands of crores being spent on urban development, the question for residents is simple: when will these projects make life easier on the ground?
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