The adoption of technology in the water sector has become increasingly crucial for urban local bodies (ULBs) in India, as they strive to address complex challenges such as high water losses, inequitable water distribution and water pollution. Initiatives to improve the coverage of water supply and sewerage connections, leveraging technological solutions like digital mapping of water infrastructure, smart water metering and the use of automated valves significantly enhance the efficiency and transparency of urban water services. With a strong intent, supportive policies and significant infrastructure investments, the central and state governments, along with ULBs, are making progress in enhancing water supply and sewerage coverage in Indian cities. These efforts are crucial steps towards achieving 100 per cent universal water supply coverage and effective wastewater treatment. This will also help strengthen the commitment towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all – by 2030.
Emphasis on improving coverage
The Indian government has launched several initiatives to enhance water supply and sanitation coverage nationwide, with the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and AMRUT 2.0 being the key programmes. Progress under the JJM can be seen at the state level, with over 50 per cent of the rural population in Rajasthan covered with piped water supply. To take this forward, the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) of Rajasthan plans to bring rural water supply coverage at par with urban areas in the state in the coming years.
The central and state governments have also collaborated with private players as contractors for engineering, procurement and construction-based projects and in public-private partnerships. There are also private partnerships for consultancy and advisory services to ensure effective government programme implementation. Besides, significant investments have been made to enhance the coverage of the urban and rural water supply schemes. Under AMRUT, as of April 2025, 64,463 km of water supply network and 19,598 km of sewerage network have been constructed. Further, water treatment capacity of 4,734 million litres per day (mld) and sewerage capacity of 4,447 mld have been developed, of which 1,437 mld of sewerage treatment capacity has been developed for recycling and reuse. Meanwhile, under AMRUT 2.0, 18.1 million new tap connections and 6.71 million new sewerage connections have been approved. Additionally, 10,647 mld water treatment plant capacity and 6,739 mld sewage treatment plant capacity have also been approved.
Water infrastructure mapping
The majority of the water infrastructure in the country, such as the underground pipeline network and the sewerage network, is several decades old and outdated. The unavailability of physical maps used and the absence of digitalisation mechanisms in the past have made it difficult to maintain records of underground water infrastructure. This further makes the revamping of the infrastructure, according to the needs of the present water requirements, difficult. For instance, as per estimates from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Delhi’s pipeline network is longer than 14,000 km.
With the growing population, water demand is steadily increasing and putting immense pressure on the old infrastructure. This infrastructure cannot be changed and updated in a short period, and thus there is a need for technology interventions that incorporate water infrastructure mapping. Often, the exact location of the infrastructure asset cannot be detected, which increases the cost and time taken to resolve issues such as leakages and poor pressure of water supply.
To revamp water infrastructure, the first step is to identify existing infrastructure, which can be achieved through technologies like supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). In line with this, the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam (UPJN) is actively working to map the number of borewells across 17 municipal corporations in the state and plans to connect all the borewells with SCADA to monitor and control the infrastructure. Similarly, efforts are under way by UPJN to map and digitalise water infrastructure assets in Lucknow.
Smart water meters
The rising issue of water leakage necessitates the adoption of advanced technologies to reduce the high volume of non-revenue water (NRW) in Indian cities. Smart water meters are a potential solution to enable consumers to track their water consumption and make conscious efforts to reduce water wastage. Additionally, these meters can help in accurate water billing for consumers and increase the revenue earned by the ULBs. In this direction, the DJB has installed around 50,000 smart meters over the past decade.
However, the adoption of smart water meters faces significant challenges. High installation and operational costs are major hurdles, necessitating manufacturers to explore cost-reduction mechanisms. For instance, NRW levels are estimated empirically based on factors like water production, water supply and population. Nevertheless, there is a lack of accurate monitoring mechanisms. Further, the significant disparity between operational costs and water tariffs highlights the need for substantial investment in technological interventions like SCADA-based systems. Implementing such solutions would require a comprehensive revamp of water-related infrastructure, which is a current priority for Rajasthan’s PHED.
Automated valves
Water infrastructure assets are often operated in silos across various organisations, with different departments managing treatment plants, water distribution and transmission independently. This fragmented approach can lead to inefficiencies, particularly during peak summer months when water demand surges. For instance, the DJB faces challenges in ensuring the equitable distribution of water to the tail-end areas, despite having sufficient water supply. To address this, the DJB is exploring technological interventions, such as automated valves, to streamline water distribution from areas with excess supply to water-scarce regions. By leveraging automated valves, the DJB can remotely control water flow, optimise distribution and reduce manual errors, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and responsiveness of Delhi’s water services.
Challenges in the adoption of technology
The adoption of technology in the urban water sector faces significant challenges. One major hurdle is the complexity of revamping existing infrastructure, which can disrupt current water supply operations and cause restraints. Besides, at times, slow water pressure received by households prompts them to deploy boosters to improve the pressure. This causes pressure disruptions for those residents who do not deploy such mechanisms, further disrupting equitable water supply for other households. Moreover, implementing solutions based on emerging technologies such as internet of things, AI and machine learning requires addressing underlying structural and infrastructural design issues of the water distribution network for their optimal utilisation.
Most importantly, high technology costs and low tariffs collected by ULBs make it difficult to undertake innovative digital solutions. Another critical challenge is the shortage of qualified personnel having adequate experience and skill sets required for handling technology-related interventions. For instance, the DJB recognises that for undertaking complex initiatives like asset mapping, the skills to understand and implement geographic information system (GIS)-based techniques are of paramount importance. Hence, this necessitates the hiring of GIS engineers and the uptake of capacity-building initiatives to train personnel.
In sum
Despite challenges, the rising policy impetus on the steady development of water-related infrastructure is expected to improve the overall operational efficiency of the sector. The key focus areas of infrastructure upgradation, formulation of effective strategies, public awareness and engagement, and investment in capacity building have the potential to transform the sector and make it resilient in the long run. These are expected to address issues like high NRW levels, low quality of supplied water, and inefficiencies in water supply and distribution systems. Going forward, the increased use of smart water meters is likely to effectively track water consumption and help redress low revenue generation by ULBs.
With inputs from representatives from the DJB, JWIL Infra, KPMG and the PHED, Rajasthan, at a recent India Infrastructure conference
