Economic Survey 2024-25: The Economic Survey for 2024-25, released on Friday, highlighted that 1.18 crore houses have been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) since its inception in 2015. The scheme, designed to provide permanent housing solutions in urban areas. It has achieved over 1.14 crore houses on the ground and more than 89 lakh homes completed as of November 25, 2024.
PMAY-U 2.0, launched in September 2024, is set to assist an additional one crore households, marking a significant expansion of the program. Currently, agreements to implement PMAY-U 2.0 have been signed by 29 states and union territories. In FY25, the government has already approved the construction of 6 lakh houses under the new phase.
Urban infrastructure boom
The Economic Survey also mentioned growing urban infrastructure, particularly metro rail and rapid transit systems. With 29 cities across the country either operational or in the process of developing metro or rapid rail transit systems, a total of 1,010 kilometers of metro rail is already operational in 23 cities. An additional 980 kilometers are under construction, with 62.7 kilometers of new tracks being operationalized in FY25 alone. As a result, daily ridership has surged to 10.2 million.
These developments have brought changes in terms of reducing emissions, traffic congestion, vehicle operating costs, accidents, and infrastructure maintenance, contributing to cleaner and more efficient cities.
Water and sewerage management
The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), launched in 2015, has made significant strides in improving urban water management across 500 cities. The mission’s efforts have led to a notable increase in tap water coverage to 70 percent and sewerage coverage to 62 percent. It has also augmented water treatment capacity by 4,649 million liters per day and developed 2,439 parks, adding 5,070 acres of green space.
AMRUT 2.0 was introduced in 2021, focusing on extending coverage to all statutory towns and cities. With an allocation of Rs 2.77 lakh crore for FY22 to FY26, this phase has already initiated 8,923 projects worth Rs 1.89 lakh crore, emphasizing the involvement of self-help groups and the adoption of innovative technologies.
Smart cities and real estate developments
The Smart Cities project, launched in 2015, has a completion rate with 7,479 projects worth Rs 1.50 lakh crore completed as of January 13, 2025. Meanwhile, 8,058 new projects worth Rs 1.64 lakh crore have been proposed. Additionally, the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has registered around 1.38 lakh real estate projects and 95,987 agents, with nearly 1.38 lakh complaints disposed of, ensuring greater transparency and consumer protection in the sector.
(With PTI Inputs)