The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs announces the first Pey Jal Survekshan Awards scheduled for the 5^th of March 2024 at Vigyan Bhawan. Her Excellency, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, will preside over the event, where cities and states will be honored for their excellence in the water sector.

A distinguished array of 130 awards is set to be bestowed, reflecting the remarkable accomplishments of cities and states. These accolades span various categories, from the prestigious Pey Jal Gold, Silver, and Bronze City Awards, where Gold signifies top performers (1^st) in their respective population categories (1 to 10 Lakh, 10 to 40 Lakh, and More than 40 Lakh), Silver denotes the 2^nd position, and Bronze the 3^rd. The awards extend to commendations for Best Water Body, Sustainability Champion, Reuse Champion, Water Quality, City Saturation, and the coveted AMRUT 2.0 Rotating Trophy of the Year. The meticulous evaluation, carried out under AMRUT 2.0 in 485 cities, encompassed diverse parameters, including access, coverage, water quality at treatment plants and households, and sustainability regarding the health of water bodies, availability of SCADA/ flowmeters, and reuse of treated used water. Cities will be graded on a star rating scale, ranging from 5 stars to No star, encapsulating their performance across these critical criteria. The stage is set to honor those who have succeeded in ensuring clean and sustainable water resources for their communities.

The grand event, set to host a gathering of over 1,500 awardees and participants, will not only celebrate excellence but also mark the launch of the AMRUT Mitra initiative, with women SHGs connected live from various locations country wide. Born out of the insightful "Women for Water, Water for Women" Campaign conducted under AMRUT 2.0 from 7^th to 9^th November 2023, AMRUT Mitra aims to actively involve women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the urban water sector, designating women as key contributors and emphasizing their role in household water management. The Mitras will be engaged in executing AMRUT 2.0 projects, focusing on activities such as billing, collection, leak detection, plumbing works, water quality sampling, and maintenance of infrastructure. The overarching goal of AMRUT Mitra is to instill a sense of ownership among women, promoting inclusivity and diversity in traditionally male-dominated sectors while ensuring access to safe drinking water for households and addressing gender inequality. The anticipated outcomes include upliftment of the socio-economic status of women SHGs, aligning closely with the objectives of AMRUT 2.0, increased awareness, positive community impact, and a model for future initiatives.

Pey Jal Survekshan ensured clean water through independent NABL lab testing at source and citizen-end. Using a GIS-enabled web portal, geo-tagging, and infrastructure mapping, the survey collected accurate and transparent data. With 5 lakh household responses and assessments in over a thousand facilities, it prioritized a comprehensive evaluation, including testing over 24,000 water samples.

Pey Jal Survekshan results are expected to drive ULB decision-making, enhance service delivery, and foster citizen engagement, instilling a sense of ownership and knowledge dissemination about water conservation and optimal use.

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RKJ/M