In B'luru, robotic sleuths may hunt for water leakages

Bengaluru: In a first, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is planning to use robotic technology to identify leakages in water pipelines, a timely move that comes as the tech hub battles an unprecedented water crisis.

The plan, according to the BWSSB, involves deploying small robots inside the pipelines.

“They will give us the precise location of the leakage and this will help us take focused action at the very point instead of checking through the entire pipeline network,” BWSSB Chairman Dr Ramprasat Manohar V told DH.

Over the years, by replacing old pipelines with new ones and by bringing down illegal connections, BWSSB has been able to bring down the quantity of Unaccounted for Water (UfW) significantly.

In the last nine years, the BWSSB has managed to bring down the wastage from 53% in 2015 to 24% in March 2024. However, Manohar noted that the old pipelines in the CBD area were a hindrance in bringing down the UfW further; robotics technology in such places could be a game changer.

“The CBD is densely populated and it is challenging to take up work in the area. Also, there are a few pockets that are too narrow for the machinery to move in and out. In such situations, robots will come to our rescue,” Manohar said. 

Works to replace pipelines take up a long time and pose other challenges, a senior BWSSB official said. 

“For instance, in the busy MG Road and surrounding areas, pipelines are pretty old," said the official. "If we decide to change them, it will affect traffic badly. Also, can we afford to stop the water supply to these areas for a long time to change the pipes?"

Here the virtues of tiny robots become evident, the official said.

"If this new technology helps us to identify the precise point of leakage, we can fix the pipeline at that point without causing much inconvenience,” the official added.

Manohar added that such fixes will not just help save water but will also help improve the quality of water. 

“Since there are small pipeline damages, sometimes if there is a sewage line passing close by, there are chances of contamination. This can be avoided by identifying and fixing these leaks,” he said.

Another senior BWSSB official said that this could also bring down the financial burden. 

“We have already spent close to Rs 600 crore on UfW projects in many areas. Now, if we have to check all the pipelines in CBD and leftout areas and replace old pipelines, we will need at least Rs 2,000 crore. That is also a reason why the project was kept on hold. With this robotic technology, we would be able to identify particular points and just change them,” the official said.