Pune plans robots for water contamination and leak detection

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to use robots to help identify water contamination and detect leaks in pipelines. This new robotic system will allow for inspections below the ground. The robots can go as deep as 3 meters and travel up to 300 meters. Officials say the technology was recently tested in an area called Kasba Peth. The robots are equipped with cameras that can turn 360 degrees to capture photos and videos. They are controlled remotely from above ground. The machine is similar in size to a small pipeline, measuring about one inch in diameter and two feet in length. A similar system has already been successfully used by the Sangli Miraj-Kupwad Corporation, according to their commissioner, Shubham Gupta. PMC officials believe this robotic method can save time and money. They are still in the experimental phase, focusing on areas with older pipelines. Nandkishor Jagtap, head of the water supply department, indicated that depending on the test results, they may move forward with plans to purchase more robots. Traditional leak detection can be slow and costly, often taking up to a week to find the issue, especially in busy areas. It can cost around Rs5 lakh to dig up a long stretch of road to locate a leak. Activists urge the use of robots not just for leaks but also to tackle illegal water connections in the city. Reports show there are approximately 4.5 lakh illegal water taps compared to 4 lakh legal ones. PMC has introduced an amnesty scheme, encouraging those with illegal connections to pay a one-time fine to regularize them. However, only about 500 people have taken advantage of this offer.