Bengaluru’s underground robots prevent road digging at 399 locations

Bengaluru: The robotic technology deployed by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to inspect underground pipelines has succeeded in preventing unnecessary road digging at 399 locations across the city over the last six months.The initiative, launched by DyCM D K Shivakumar last November to address pipeline leaks and sewerage faults without paralyzing city traffic, has turned out to be one of the city’s most significant technology-driven civic interventions aimed at reducing commuter hardship.Traditionally, BWSSB engineers relied on extensive trial-and-error excavation to identify underground pipeline leaks, sewer blockages and structural defects.

These road-cutting operations often triggered massive traffic snarls, dust pollution and prolonged inconvenience for residents. However, the deployment of robotic inspection systems has enabled the utility to pinpoint defects with precision from inside the pipelines themselves, drastically reducing the need to dig up roads.According to BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar, the robotic units have traversed more than 32.66 kilometres of underground pipeline network between November 2025 and May 2026.

During the inspections, engineers detected 394 defects, including leakages, blockages, fractures and structural damage, enabling targeted repairs without major excavation.“We understand how frustrating road excavations can be for motorists and the public in a metropolis like Bengaluru,” Manohar said. “Previously, digging up entire stretches of roads was inevitable to detect pipeline leaks or sewerage faults, leading to massive traffic jams.

But these machines travel inside the pipelines and accurately pinpoint faults without the need for surface digging, saving the public from immense hardship.

”BWSSB said it received 404 public complaints related to pipeline and sewerage issues during the six-month period, of which 399 have already been resolved. The remaining five cases are under priority action.The robotic systems, equipped with high-resolution cameras and AI-assisted analytics, can move deep inside underground pipelines and transmit real-time visual data to engineers.