Jammu Kashmir Has 14 AMRUT Park Projects Worth Rs 24.94 Crore | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has 14 park projects approved under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, with a combined project cost of Rs 24.94 crore, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs told the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Union territory has not recorded any park approvals so far under the expanded AMRUT 2.0 programme, the ministry said.

The figures were included in Annexure I of the ministry’s written reply to an unstarred question on development of green corridors and urban green spaces. Across India, the ministry said, 2,529 park projects worth Rs 1,606.31 crore were taken up under the original AMRUT, while 1,669 park projects totalling Rs 1,089.31 crore have been approved under AMRUT 2.0 to date. The ministry reported that AMRUT projects have already delivered a wide range of urban infrastructure, including pedestrian facilities and non-motorised transport links.

AMRUT’s urban greening effort has also produced measurable outputs: the mission supported development of thousands of parks and green spaces and promoted pedestrian and cycle infrastructure. Under AMRUT, 430 kilometres of pedestrian walkways and 43 kilometres of dedicated cycle tracks have been developed, the ministry added. The City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain programme under the Smart Cities Mission has also funded green mobility corridors, notably a Hubballi Dharwad project that received a grant of Rs 115.68 crore to rejuvenate the 9.25 kilometre Unkal Nala and link green corridors to major urban roads.

The ministry emphasised that urban planning and green corridor creation remain functions of urban local bodies and state authorities under the Constitution. Central intervention is largely supportive, offering guidelines such as the URDPFI urban planning norms, financial assistance through AMRUT and technical advisories. The annexure shows wide state-level variation in uptake: some States have taken dozens or hundreds of park projects while others — including Jammu and Kashmir — have modest portfolios in the green parks component.

AMRUT 2.0, launched on 1 October, 2021, aims to scale up these interventions with an indicative outlay of Rs 277,000 crore over five years and a central share of Rs 76,760 crore. The mission prioritises universal urban water supply, sewerage and septage management, and green public spaces, and it allows States and cities to select, appraise and implement projects within a national framework.

The ministry said progress is monitored through multiple mechanisms including State High Powered Steering Committees chaired by chief secretaries, State Level Technical Committees, an Apex Committee at national level and Independent Review and Monitoring Agencies for AMRUT 2.0. Cities track project progress on the AMRUT online portal and through periodic reviews, webinars and site visits by the ministry.

The Lok Sabha reply provides the most recent official breakdown of park and green space projects under AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0, and highlights both Jammu and Kashmir’s participation in the urban greening drive and the larger national push to develop integrated green corridors and non-motorised transport networks.