India’s pipeline infrastructure across the water and wastewater sector is undergoing rapid expansion and technological transformation. The current trajectory is marked by regulatory reforms, renewed public investment, and the integration of technological and operational efficiencies. The focus has gradually shifted from asset creation to performance enhancement, driven by efforts to improve service reliability, reduce leakages and adopt digital monitoring systems for better life cycle management. These trends reflect a broader shift from capacity augmentation towards resilience building, interoperability and data-driven optimisation, signalling a more mature and efficiency-oriented phase in India’s water pipeline infrastructure development.
Evolving regulatory landscape
The water pipeline infrastructure in India has been strongly shaped by government policies, budget allocations, regulatory reforms and sector-specific programmes. The focus has increasingly been on achieving national targets, reducing inefficiencies and improving access to services through effective pipeline expansion. The flagship programmes such as the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and the Jal Shakti Abhiyan-Catch the Rain (JSA-CTR) continue to serve as key policy anchors. Under AMRUT, 73,520 km of water network and 21,754 km of sewer network has been developed, as of December 15, 2025. Moreover, under AMRUT 2.0, projects spanning the laying or rehabilitation of 124,000 km water network and 35,801.13 km sewer network have been approved. Meanwhile, the JJM has extended piped water supply to around 81.45 per cent of rural households as of December 2025, and aims to achieve complete coverage by 2028.
Prioritising technological innovation
Ageing pipelines are a key concern impacting service delivery in both sectors. Over the past year, however, the sector has made progress in addressing this challenge with targeted reforms. Cities like Bengaluru and Chennai have initiated the replacement of ageing water and sewer pipelines, while Pune is making efforts to improve the quality of the existing network. For instance, in October 2025, the Pune Municipal Corporation decided to clean all its drainage pipelines spanning a length of 2,515 km across 142,463 chambers. The cleaning will be done using high-capacity suction and jetting machines over a period of seven years. The initiative will also help eliminate manual intervention in drain cleaning and make the process more efficient. Moreover, construction activity has increased for laying pipelines for wastewater reuse and river rejuvenation. Recent examples include pipelines carrying treated wastewater from the Okhla sewage treatment plant in Delhi, a 500 km sewerage network to intercept and divert sewage inflows that pollute the Nag river in Nagpur, and a 22 km pipeline for transporting industrial effluent to reuse sites near Ahmedabad.
Another key trend that is shaping the sector is the increasing use of technology to improve performance, reduce losses, enhance safety and ensure efficient life cycle management of pipelines. This includes the adoption of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) for various projects under government programmes. As of December 2025, around 258 water supply schemes have been provided with SCADA under AMRUT and convergence schemes. Also, about 1,415 water supply projects under AMRUT 2.0 have provision for SCADA systems. Further, geotagging, mapping and real-time monitoring of pipelines are being promoted. Recently, the mapping of drinking water infrastructure under the JJM onto the PM Gati Shakti’s geographic information system (GIS) platform has been mandated. This aims to improve planning, monitoring and coordination of rural water supply assets including pipelines. It will geotag pipelines at a household level and align them with other infrastructure networks for better convergence. The use of drone mapping, visual inspections, sensors and smart meters to detect abnormalities in water flow or pressure within pipelines is also gaining traction.
Challenges and future outlook
While momentum remains strong, water sector continues to face significant bottlenecks related to capacity utilisation. A key challenge across the sector’s pipeline networks is that utilisation often lags behind the established capacity. The sector is plagued with high non-revenue water extent due to pipeline leakages and low pressure. Many older networks are leaky or ineffective, and replacement or rehabilitation works are both expensive and complex. While capital investments are better supported under central and state programmes, operations and maintenance (O&M) activities often lag behind. The recurring O&M costs also put a financial burden on utilities and private players.
Looking forward, the demand for larger pipeline infrastructure is projected to continue rising. The focus will shift from mere access to reliability, quality, reuse, and environmental compliance. Digital monitoring systems will be implemented for predictive maintenance. Further, ULBs are seeking support from international donors to augment their pipeline network. In line with this, the Nashik Municipal Corporation is planning to seek a loan worth Rs 7.5 billion from the World Bank to finance the construction of sewerage pipelines in Nashik, Maharashtra. As per preliminary estimates, the length of the sewerage network will be around 200 km. It also aims to replace the outdated and ageing sewerage pipelines, and strengthen overall sewerage infrastructure in the city.