The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to deploy advanced, non-invasive technologies to detect underground water pipeline leakages, aiming to curb water losses and address the city’s growing water scarcity. The move comes as traditional methods, such as sounding rods, have proven ineffective in identifying leaks in deep pipelines, particularly those located beneath concrete roads.
According to officials, the civic body’s Hydraulics Department has proposed the use of modern tools including acoustic ground microphones, digital correlators, noise loggers, tracer gases like helium, ground penetrating radar, and AI-based leakage detection systems. These technologies will enable precise leak detection without the need to dig up roads, reducing both disruption and repair costs.
Improving Mumbai’s water supply has been a key priority for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led administration in the BMC. Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde has stressed the importance of minimizing water wastage, preventing leakages, and ensuring an uninterrupted supply for residents.
The BMC has issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) to procure the required equipment. Mumbai currently requires around 4,200 million litres (ML) of water, but only about 3,800 ML is supplied. Officials estimate that nearly 25 percent of water is lost due to theft and undetected leaks. Aging and deteriorating pipelines, along with damage caused during infrastructure works, have further compounded the problem, making water conservation a critical focus for the civic body.
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