Context: Recently, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs said that the government has introduced the Jal Hi AMRIT scheme in its first 100 days.

• This program launched under AMRUT 2.0 seeks to improve quality of treated effluent discharge and promote recycling of treated water in urban areas.

About Jal Hi Amrit Program

• Key Purpose: To incentivize States & UTs to manage used water (sewage) treatment plants (STPs) for ensuring recyclable good quality treated water.

• Key Aspects of Initiative: 

• Clean Water Credit System to build competition among cities, develop capacities and incentivise them to attain good quality used treated water.

• Clean water credits will be awarded to STPs in terms of  Star-rating (between 3 stars to 5 stars) certificate which will be valid for six months.

• Performance-Based Incentives: Provided to Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) receive clean water credits based on a star rating system, these ratings will be certified and valid for six months, allowing cities to showcase their achievements.

• Promoting Water Circularity by treating wastewater effectively, cities can reuse this resource, reducing waste and conserving water.

About Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)

• The initiative was launched by the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs in June 2015 to improve basic infrastructure in 500 cities across the country.

• Key objectives

• Ensuring everyone has access to clean and safe drinking water.

• Improving the systems for managing waste and rainwater.

• Creating parks and gardens for better air quality and recreational areas.

• Promoting walking and cycling to reduce pollution.

• Training local authorities and citizens to manage urban issues effectively.

AMRUT 2.0

• In October 2021, AMRUT 2.0 was launched to continue the work started in AMRUT 1.0. This phase will run for five years, from the financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Objectives of AMRUT 2.0

• Extend coverage from 500 cities to about 4,900 statutory towns.

• Improve sewerage services in the initial 500 cities.

• Promote water recycling and conservation through City Water Balance Plans (CWBP) and rejuvenation of water bodies.

• Make life better for citizens by enhancing urban planning, reducing non-revenue water, and improving urban finance.

Key Components of AMRUT 2.0

• Pey Jal Survekshan to set the fair distribution of water, reuse wastewater, and encourage healthy competition among cities.

• Technology Sub-Mission to bring the latest technologies for better water management.

• Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns to raise awareness about water conservation among the public.