As Bengaluru confronts rising water stress driven by rapid urbanisation and climate variability, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board is recalibrating its approach to urban water management. Dr. Ram Prasath Manohar V., IAS, Chairman, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), in an exclusive interview with Krishna Mishra of Elets News Network (ENN), outlines the utility’s two-pronged strategy combining supply augmentation and demand management, the growing role of digital technologies such as AI, IoT, and SCADA, and the importance of partnerships and citizen participation in ensuring long-term water security for the city. Edited excerpts:

Bengaluru is facing increasing pressure on its water resources due to rapid urbanisation, population growth, and increasing economic activity. In this context, what is your comprehensive strategy to ensure long-term water security and sustainability for the city?

Water security for a metropolitan city like Bengaluru must be anchored on two equally strong and interdependent pillars: supply-side augmentation and demand-side management. These two dimensions must function in synchrony to ensure long-term resilience.

On the supply side, BWSSB currently serves more than 14 million residents spanning around 800 sqkm. making it one of India’s largest integrated urban water utilities. Our installed water treatment capacity from the Cauvery system stands at 2,293 MLD across six Water Treatment Plants, ensuring an average supply of approximately 150 litres per capita per day (LPCD) as per the national mandate.

We recently commissioned the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme (CWSS) Stage V, with a capacity of 775 MLD, in October 2024 with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In order to meet projected future demand and support continued urban expansion, CWSS Stage VI, with a proposed capacity of 500 MLD, is currently under planning. This phased and forward-looking approach ensures that supply infrastructure evolves in line with demographic and economic growth and ensure that Bengaluru will be a Water Plus city.

However, supply augmentation alone is not sufficient. Bengaluru has developed one of the most robust wastewater treatment ecosystems in the country. BWSSB operates 34 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) with a total installed capacity of 1,348.50 MLD, supported by a sewer network spanning approximately 12,000 km. Treated water reuse has been institutionalised as a strategic priority. At present, 825 MLD of treated water is reused for environmental purposes and 30 MLD for commercial applications. Our STPs have been rated best as per Jal Hi Amrit scheme, one of the flagship programs launched by MoHUA to assess the health of STPs. The reuse of wastewater significantly reduces freshwater dependency and ensures that potable water is reserved primarily for drinking and essential domestic use.

Lake rejuvenation has become a transformative intervention within our strategy. BWSSB has rejuvenated 274 lakes using treated wastewater, including 140 in Kolar, 65 in Chikkaballapura, and 69 in Anekal. Independent studies conducted by IISc in 2023 have indicated a 58–73 per cent increase in groundwater levels in these rejuvenated zones. This represents not merely ecological restoration, but aquifer recharge and hydrological stabilisation at scale.

On the demand side, we have mandated the installation of aerators across water connections. So far, 12 lakh aerators have been installed, with a target of 20 lakh installations. These measures have significantly reduced per capita consumption. Combined with efficiency improvements and loss reduction measures, this has contributed to savings of nearly 100 million litres per day during periods of peak stress.

Additionally, 1,000 rainwater recharge pits have been constructed near borewells, with another 1,000 planned. These measures strengthen groundwater resilience and promote decentralised recharge.

Overall, our strategy integrates infrastructure augmentation, wastewater reuse, groundwater recharge, conservation initiatives, technological modernisation, and citizen participation to create a structurally water-secure Bengaluru.

You have consistently emphasised the role of digital technologies in urban water governance. How is BWSSB leveraging technology to enhance operational efficiency, transparency, and service delivery?

BWSSB is systematically transitioning into a “Utility of the Future” through comprehensive digital integration across its operational, monitoring, billing, and citizen service platforms.

We have implemented the CP-24 Phase 3 centralised SCADA system, one of Asia’s largest command-and-control centres for water utilities. This system enables real-time monitoring and remote control of the entire water supply and sewerage network. Complementing this, our Geographic Information System (GIS) provides 100 per cent mapping of BWSSB’s asset network, including pipelines and treatment facilities, enabling data-driven planning and preventive maintenance.

Reduction of Non-Revenue Water (NRW) has been a major achievement under this digital transformation. Through AI- based monitoring systems, bulk flow metering, and systematic infrastructure upgrades, unaccounted-for water has been reduced from 51 per cent in 2013 to 26.5 per cent in 2025. This has resulted in savings of approximately 200 million litres per day, effectively creating a virtual new water source without additional raw water extraction.

Infrastructure strengthening measures include the replacement of 200 km of old cast-iron pipelines, with plans to upgrade an additional 3,000 km. Additionally, 56 bulk flow meters have been installed across District Metered Areas to enhance monitoring and accountability.

On the citizen services front, several digital platforms have been operationalised:

• Jaladhare portal for online application and tracking of new water and sanitary connections
• Sajala revenue billing system, through which over 60 per cent of collections are now routed online
• Sanchari Kaveri, India’s first IoT-based smart water tanker management system using RFID and GPS tracking
• AI-enabled smart meter pilot projects for bulk consumers to reduce NRW
• Citizen applications such as Parisara Jalasnehi for treated wastewater booking and Antharjala for borewell permissions.

These initiatives have significantly enhanced transparency, billing efficiency, grievance redressal mechanisms, and overall institutional accountability.

Climate change is intensifying both water scarcity and extreme weather events. How is BWSSB integrating climate resilience into its long-term planning and operational framework?

Climate resilience is embedded within our planning architecture and operational protocols. In response to the water stress event of 2024, BWSSB implemented the Panchasutra five-point action plan. This framework focuses on maximising treated water reuse, modernising borewell monitoring, mandating rainwater harvesting, promoting water-saving fixtures such as aerators, and strengthening community awareness and participation.

Lake rejuvenation plays a central role in climate adaptation. Our 274 rejuvenated lakes function as groundwater recharge reservoirs during drought conditions and as natural runoff buffers during periods of extreme rainfall.

Wastewater reuse is a significant step of our climate adaptation strategy. Our roadmap includes scaling treatment capacity from the existing 1,348.50 MLD to a projected total of 2,511.50 MLD across 79 STPs (existing, ongoing, and proposed). This will further strengthen reuse potential and reduce dependence on freshwater sources.

Energy sustainability is another important dimension. BWSSB generates 4.5 MW/hour of power through biogas recovery in STPs, reducing both carbon footprint and operational expenditure.

The Advanced Water Treatment Plant (AWTP) at Jakkur represents a pioneering initiative, blending tertiary-treated wastewater with lake water to produce potable water that meets WHO standards. This project sets a benchmark for circular urban water management in India.

Public-Private Partnerships are increasingly being used in infrastructure sectors. How does BWSSB view PPP models in strengthening water and sanitation services?

Public-Private Partnerships have played a vital role in accelerating innovation and infrastructure expansion while maintaining public oversight.

Major initiatives under PPP and multilateral frameworks include:

• The ₹925 crore JICA-funded Cauvery Stage V Phase-III project covering UWTPs, Intermediate Sewage Pumping Stations (ISPS), and trunk sewer networks
•  The World Bank-supported Karnataka Water Security & Resilience Programme, covering 110 BBMP villages and incorporating 9 STPs with a capacity of 148 MLD
• Industrial reuse supply to KPCL, KIAL, BEL, Rail Wheel Factory, Airport Authority of India, and ITC
• Zero Bacteria Technology in collaboration with IISc, currently supplying 3 lakh litres per day and scaling up to 1 crore litres per day

PPP frameworks enable the integration of private-sector efficiency, technological innovation, and financial structuring while ensuring regulatory oversight and public accountability.

Non-Revenue Water continues to be a major challenge for urban utilities, and institutional performance is increasingly measured through efficiency, sustainability, and measurable outcomes. What concrete steps has BWSSB undertaken to reduce losses, improve operational performance, and how do these efforts position the utility for the future?

Reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) has been a central operational priority for BWSSB, as it directly impacts water security, financial sustainability, and service reliability.

Through sustained technological integration and infrastructure modernisation, unaccounted-for water has been reduced from 51 per cent in 2013 to 26.5 per cent in 2025. This has resulted in daily savings of approximately 200 MLD, effectively creating a virtual water source without additional raw water extraction.

The key measures implemented include:

• Replacement of 200 km of ageing cast-iron pipelines, with 3,000 km identified for phased upgradation
• Installation of 56 bulk flow meters across District Metered Areas to enhance system monitoring
• Deployment of AI-enabled smart meter pilot projects for bulk consumers
• Real-time operational monitoring through the CP-24 Phase 3 Centralised SCADA platform

In parallel, digitally monitored Sewage Treatment Plants offer potential energy savings of nearly 25 per cent, improving overall operational efficiency and sustainability.

Beyond NRW reduction, BWSSB today manages infrastructure at significant metropolitan scale, including:

• 14,384 km of water supply network
• 12,000 km of sewer network
• 11.46 lakh household connections
• 2,293 MLD water supply capacity
• 1,348.50 MLD existing STP capacity

These operational improvements and institutional capabilities have received both national and international recognition. BWSSB has been conferred:

• The Climate Smart Utilities Award (International Water Association, 2023)
• The Sustainable Urban Water Management Award (UNESCO–Water Digest, 2025)
• Recognition as India’s First BIS-Certified Utility Board (2025)
• The Golden Peacock Award (2024)
• A Guinness World Record (2025) for securing 6 lakh citizen pledges within one week for water conservation

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The transition from a linear “source-to-disposal” framework to a circular, digital, climate-resilient, and citizen-driven system represents a structural transformation in urban water governance. Bengaluru’s water future is being secured not solely through infrastructure expansion, but through the integrated application of technology, wastewater reuse, resilience planning, efficiency optimisation, governance reforms, and sustained public participation within a coherent and forward-looking institutional framework.
Edited by: Abhineet Kumar | ENN

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