Key Highlights
- Over 1,000 women from Self‑Help Groups across 30 states showcased actionable solutions for urban water management.
- SHG members performed tasks ranging from water‑quality testing to faecal‑sludge management, reinforcing community ownership.
- The Ministry plans to scale the AMRUT Mitra model from 1,910 to 5,000 cities, creating new livelihood avenues for women.
- Future focus areas include treated‑wastewater reuse, digital metering, and data‑driven monitoring.
Detailed Insights
The AMRUT Mitra Mahotsav 2026, convened by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs at Bharat Mandapam, assembled women SHG representatives—referred to as AMRUT Mitras—from diverse regions such as Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Karnataka. Their narratives highlighted how participation in urban water services has directly enhanced household incomes and fostered collective resilience.
Key operational roles undertaken by these women encompass on‑site water‑quality verification, billing and revenue collection, community outreach, routine operation & maintenance of water infrastructure, and management of faecal‑sludge systems. By integrating these functions, SHGs have transformed from passive beneficiaries to proactive partners in service delivery, elevating transparency and citizen‑government interaction.
Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal framed water management as a “people’s movement” anchored in Jan Bhagidari. He emphasized that women, as primary custodians of household water, are pivotal to the sustainability of urban water ecosystems. Government initiatives now target emerging sectors—treated‑wastewater reuse, smart water‑metering, and evidence‑based decision platforms—where SHG participation can amplify impact.
Presently, more than 45,000 SHG women operate in 1,910 cities across 34 states and UTs. The envisaged expansion to 5,000 cities aims to deepen women‑led governance, generate additional income streams, and cement community stewardship of water security.
Key Concepts
- AMRUT Mitra: A self‑help group member engaged in urban water and sanitation service delivery under the AMRUT 2.0 framework.
- Jan Bhagidari: The principle of active citizen participation in public‑service planning and execution.
- Faecal Sludge Management (FSM): The systematic collection, transport, treatment, and safe disposal or reuse of fecal waste from on‑site sanitation facilities.
- Smart Metering: Deployment of digital water meters that enable real‑time consumption monitoring and automated billing.
- Circular Water Economy: An approach that recovers, treats, and re‑utilizes wastewater, thereby minimizing extraction of fresh water resources.