‘Women For Water, Water For Women’: Inclusive Water Governance Campaign Launched Under AMRUT Scheme

Aiming at providing a platform for inclusion of women in water governance, the government is set to launch the "Women for Water, Water for Women Campaign" under its flagship scheme — Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is set to unveil the progressive initiative in partnership with the Ministry's National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM). Odisha Urban Academy is the knowledge partner.

This campaign celebrates "Jal Diwali" and commences from today, 7 November, 2023 and will continue till 9 November, 2023.

The campaign is meant to provide a platform for inclusion of women in water governance. They will be given first-hand knowledge about water treatment processes through visits to water treatment plants (WTPs) in their respective cities.

These visits will elucidate the vital procedures involved in delivering clean and safe drinking water to households. Additionally, women will gain insight into water quality testing protocols which ensure that citizens get water of the required quality.

The overarching goal of the campaign is to instill a sense of ownership and belonging among women towards water infrastructure.

India has more than 3,000 WTPs, with a designed water treatment capacity of more than 65,000 million litres per day (MLD) and operational capacity of more than 55,000 MLD.

During the said campaign, women self-help groups (SHGs) will visit more than 550 water treatment plants, with a combined operational capacity of more than 20,000 MLD — which is more than 35 per cent of the country’s total.

The women play a significant role in household water management. By empowering women with knowledge about water treatment processes and infrastructure, MoHUA aims to enhance their ability to ensure access to safe and clean drinking water for their households.

The campaign aims to address issues of gender equality by promoting inclusivity and diversity in sectors traditionally dominated by men.

The phase I of Women for Water, Water for Women Campaign — Jal Diwali campaign shall witness participation from all states/UTs (barring the five states under Model Code of Conduct), with an expected participation of more than 15,000 SHG-women, nationwide.

The focus areas of the campaign include familiarising the women with functioning of WTPs and water testing facilities. It aims to promote inclusivity and involvement through souvenirs and articles created by women SHGs.

It also focuses familiarising and educating the women about AMRUT scheme and its impact on water infrastructure.

The anticipated outcomes of the campaign include increased awareness and knowledge on water treatment, sense of ownership and responsibility, promotion of inclusivity, empowerment of SHGs, positive community impact and model for future initiatives.

State and city officials from AMRUT and NULM will be facilitating these visits by identifying WTPs.

MoHUA has called upon all state and city officials to actively participate and support this initiative, marking a significant stride towards including women in the vital space of water infrastructure under AMRUT.