Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Organises AMRUT Mitra Mahotsav to Expand Women-Led Water Governance to 5000 Cities

Key facts

• The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) hosted the AMRUT Mitra Mahotsav at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, to celebrate the leadership of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in urban water services.
• The event was chaired by the Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, with participation from over 1000 women and 300 officials from 30 States and Union Territories (UTs).
• The Government of India announced a vision to expand the AMRUT Mitra model from the current 1900 cities to 5000 cities to ensure deeper penetration of women-led governance.
• Currently, more than 45,000 SHG members are actively engaged as AMRUT Mitras across 1910 cities in 34 States and UTs under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0).
• AMRUT Mitras from Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka shared narratives on water quality testing and community mobilisation.
• The Union Minister launched the AMRUT Mitra Best Practices Compendium to document successful interventions in urban water management.
• Treated wastewater reuse has been identified as a major priority under AMRUT 2.0 as cities shift towards a circular and sustainable water economy.
• SHG women are being integrated into emerging services including digital water management systems, smart metering, data-based monitoring, and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns.
• The AMRUT Mitra model involves women in operational roles such as billing and collection, Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) operations, and the operation and maintenance of water assets.