In a landmark move that solidifies its status as India's technology nerve centre, Bengaluru has embraced robotic innovation to revolutionise the management of its underground civic utilities. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has officially deployed advanced robotic platforms to inspect its sprawling sewer and underground utility networks, marking a decisive shift from disruptive, excavation-heavy methods to a data-driven, precision approach.
The Robotic Revolution Under Bengaluru's Streets
Rolled out on 12 November, this initiative represents a major technological upgrade in civic operations. The robotic systems enable high-resolution visual inspection of pipelines buried beneath the city, allowing engineers to accurately detect blockages, structural cracks, deformities, and internal damage. Crucially, this is achieved without the need for physically cutting open roads, a conventional practice that causes significant urban disruption.
In just over a month since its launch, the technology has been deployed to assess 75 service requests. Of these, 67 locations have been successfully inspected and addressed, with only a handful of requests remaining pending. This new system has provided unprecedented visibility into the city's subterranean assets, leading to the identification of over 93 distinct defects that might have otherwise remained hidden.
Substantial Cost Savings and Enhanced Safety
The most immediate and notable impact has been the drastic reduction in unnecessary excavation. According to BWSSB officials, the robotic inspection's pinpoint accuracy has helped engineers avoid unnecessary digging at 38 specific locations. This precision has translated into substantial financial savings by eliminating repeated road-cutting, reducing subsequent restoration work, and optimising the deployment of repair crews and resources.
Beyond efficiency and cost optimisation, the technology heralds a new era in worker safety. By limiting the need for manual entry into hazardous confined spaces within sewers, the robotic systems have significantly reduced human exposure to dangerous environments, thereby enhancing on-ground worker welfare.
Moving from Reactive to Predictive Maintenance
A senior BWSSB engineer highlighted that this shift is about more than just fixing current problems. "It marks a major advancement in urban asset intelligence," the engineer explained. "With accurate, real-time data on underground conditions, we are now able to move towards a predictive and preventive maintenance model rather than reacting to surface-level failures. This reduces the likelihood of sudden network breakdowns and helps us avoid avoidable operational losses."
The system has also dramatically shortened diagnostic timelines, enabling faster decision-making and more targeted interventions. This proactive approach aims to prevent major infrastructure failures before they occur, ensuring more reliable utility services for Bengaluru's citizens.
A Blueprint for Smart Urban Governance
BWSSB Chairperson Ram Prasath Manohar stated that the board's adoption of robotics underscores its commitment to integrating smart technologies into public infrastructure management. "Robotics has enabled more responsible use of public resources while improving service delivery outcomes," Manohar said.
Looking ahead, the board has plans to expand robotic inspections across additional zones in the city. The broader vision is to leverage this technology to further improve emergency response times, optimise long-term maintenance strategies, and systematically modernise the management of Bengaluru's critical underground infrastructure, setting a benchmark for other Indian cities to follow.
