Use of robotic tech avoids digging at 38 sites to fix leakage: BWSSB

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has leveraged robotic inspection technology to streamline sewer and underground utility management, avoiding excavation at 38 sites and saving several lakhs in repair costs. 

Since its launch on November 12, the initiative has allowed BWSSB engineers to accurately detect underground issues without resorting to conventional digging. During this period, 75 service requests were reported, with 67 addressed. Robotic inspections revealed over 93 issues, including blockages, structural defects, and internal damages, problems that would have otherwise required repeated trial-and-error excavation.  

The technology has cut costs and reduced public inconvenience. The initiative spared people from long road closures, traffic snarls, dust, noise, and restricted access that usually accompany excavation-based repairs and also enhanced worker safety by limiting manual entry into confined underground spaces.

BWSSB Chairman V. Ram Prasath Manohar said that they plan to expand the use of robotic inspections across more zones to further improve response times, cut costs, and minimise public inconvenience.