BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has been using advanced robotic technology to inspect underground pipelines at 399 sites over the past six months, instead of going for road excavations that creates traffic girdlocks.
The state-of-the-art technology was launched by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in November last year to address pipeline leaks and sewage line faults without the need for ground excavation. The board surveyed over 32 km of infrastructure by sending robotic units directly into the underground networks to inspect, identify and repair critical faults without tearing up the asphalt.
“We understand how frustrating road excavations can be for motorists and the public in a metropolis like Bengaluru. Previously, digging up entire stretches of roads was inevitable to detect pipeline leaks or sewerage faults, leading to massive traffic jams. Following the directives of the DCM, we deployed this robotic technology. These machines travel inside the pipelines and accurately pinpoint faults without the need for surface digging, saving the public from immense hardship,” said BWSSB Chairman Dr Ram Prasath Manohar.
From November 2025 to May this year, the robotic units scanned 32 km inside the city’s pipeline network to conduct precise and scientific inspections, accurately identified 394 specific defects allowing engineers to execute targeted repairs with minimal damage to road infrastructure and resolved 399 of 404 public complaints received during the period.