Context: In a move that could expedite the implementation of railways and highways projects across the country, the Union government has asked the Ministry of Railways and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to use the soil/silt excavated from ponds/tanks in all districts across the country under Amrit Sarovar Mission. 

What is Mission on Amrit Sarovar?

• With a view to conserve water for the future, the Prime Minister launched a new Mission on Amrit Sarovar on 24th April 2022. 
• The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country as a part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• In total, it would lead to creation of 50,000 water bodies of a size of about an Acre or more. 
• It may also be mentioned that the Mission encourages mobilisation of citizen and non-govt resources for supplementing these efforts.
• The Mission Amrit Sarovar is to be completed by 15th August 2023. Around 50,000 such Amrit Sarovar may be constructed in the country. 
• Each of these Amrit Sarovar will have approx. area of 1 acre with a water holding capacity of 10,000 cubic meter.

How would it be governed?

This Mission has been launched with a whole of Government Approach in which 6 Ministries/Department namely

• Department of Rural Development
• Department of land resource
• Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
• Department of Water resources
• Ministry of Panchayati Raj
• Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate changes

Also Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) has been engaged as Technical partner for the Mission.

• The Mission works through the States and Districts, through refocusing of various schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, XV Finance Commission Grants, PMKSY sub schemes such as Watershed Development Component, Har Khet Ko Pani besides States’ own schemes.