Pipeline infrastructure constitutes the backbone of India’s water sector, playing a pivotal role in enabling the safe and efficient delivery of potable water to urban and rural populations. Beyond basic distribution, pipelines support better water management and sustainable resource use. The water sector is currently undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the dual imperatives of modernising ageing pipeline networks and integrating innovative technologies to enhance operational efficiency.
Additionally, the growing emphasis on wastewater reuse and recycling is driving the expansion of associated pipeline networks, reflecting a strategic shift towards a circular water economy. Concurrently, addressing pipeline leakages and reducing the extent of non-revenue water (NRW) has become critical as India’s NRW levels, ranging from 35 to 70 per cent compared to a global average of 30 per cent, reveal both a pressing challenge and a substantial opportunity. The sector is poised to reduce water losses and strengthen water supply resilience with the systematic upgradation of the pipeline infrastructure through pipeline mapping, its digital monitoring, and other related measures.
Policy impetus to bolster pipeline infrastructure
The development and upgradation of India’s water pipeline infrastructure are strongly guided by national and state-level policies and programmes. Key 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), among others, have focused on the expansion of water distribution networks and provision of household tap connections, by laying new pipelines and the upgradation of existing infrastructure. The projects and initiatives under these programmes have translated into significant progress of water pipeline infrastructure in the country. Under AMRUT, for instance, focused interventions have led to a massive development of more than a 73,500 km water supply pipeline network and 21,750 km sewer pipeline network, as of July 2025. Similarly, JJM has substantially strengthened water coverage through the provision of piped water supply to around 81 per cent of rural households, as of October 13, 2025.
To strengthen the monitoring and tracking of both ongoing and completed water infrastructure projects, a significant emphasis has been placed on the geotagging and digital mapping of the pipeline network under these programmes. This approach enables the accurate tracking of assets and better planning of maintenance and expansion works. Additionally, pipeline monitoring systems are being deployed to ensure efficient water distribution and the safe conveyance of sewage. To this end, as of August 2025, around 230 water supply projects and 146 sewerage projects have been implemented with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems for real-time surveillance. Further, in October 2025, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti signed a memorandum of agreement with the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) for the mapping and geotagging of all drinking water infrastructure, including pipelines developed under the JJM, onto the geographic information system-based platform of the PM Gati Shakti. This innovative initiative seeks to enhance the planning, monitoring and coordination of rural water supply assets. BISAG-N will assist in database design, map creation, data migration and system integration. Through this effort, pipelines and rural piped water schemes will be geotagged at the household level and linked with other infrastructure networks to ensure better alignment and convergence. Alongside, over 70 per cent of the piped water supply sources have been geotagged under JSA-CTR, as of October 10, 2025. This has facilitated precise mapping and real-time tracking of the condition and usage of water pipeline infrastructure across the country.
Accelerating water pipeline upgradation
India’s water sector is witnessing a decisive transition from piecemeal repairs to systemic upgradation of its ageing pipeline infrastructure. The growing recognition that efficient water supply depends on the physical health of the pipeline infrastructure has led several cities to initiate large-scale pipeline upgradation initiatives. In Bengaluru, for instance, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board has decided in August 2025 to replace a 200 km stretch of old and ageing pipelines.
Similarly, a pipeline infrastructure project involving the replacement of 157 km long water pipelines and 120 km long sewer pipelines is in the works in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, as of January 2025. The work under the project has been divided into six packages, of which two will be dedicated for the upgradation of water supply pipelines, while four will holistically focus on sewer pipeline networks. These pipeline upgradation projects aim to fix low pressure and water supply disruptions, marking a shift towards resilient and efficient urban water pipeline systems.
Advancing pipeline networks for reuse and river rejuvenation projects
The water pipeline infrastructure plays a vital role beyond water supply, driving wastewater treatment, reuse and river rejuvenation. Indian cities are developing dedicated pipeline networks to link wastewater treatment facilities, industries and waterbodies, promoting water circularity and environmental restoration. Conforming to this, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has been recently planning a reuse model through the laying of around 15 km of pipelines to transport treated wastewater from the Ghatkopar wastewater treatment plant to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited units in Mahul. This initiative will help in enablig wastewater reuse in industries.
Alongside, increasing attention is being given to river and waterbody rejuvenation with the aid of robust pipeline network, enabling the interception and diversion of drains, the conveyance of treated wastewater and other restoration measures. A plethora of initiatives are being taken up in this direction. For instance, as of May 2025, the Delhi Jal Board is laying 2,800 mm diameter pipelines to transport high quality treated water from the Okhla sewage treatment plant and curb pollution in the Yamuna river. Complementing these efforts, Nagpur has initiated the project involving the laying of a 500 km sewerage network in May 2025 to rejuvenate the Nag river by intercepting and diverting sewage inlets that currently discharge directly into the river. Likewise, Gujarat’s 22 km wastewater pipeline project, planned in July 2025, aims to treat industrial effluents discharged into the Sabarmati river and transport them to Miroli in Dholka near Ahmedabad for reuse in irrigation. This demonstrates the evolution of water pipeline assets into instruments for ecological restoration for rivers rather than mere service utilities.
Digital initiatives to reduce pipeline leakages
Many cities have decades-old water pipelines that are now outdated and prone to leakages, causing heavy water losses. To address this, municipal corporations are adopting digital technologies for faster detection and intervention. For instance, in June 2025, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has deployed advanced pipeline inspection tools like Endo 90 robocams, small pushcams and big pushcams. Equipped with high-resolution sensors, these robocams can inspect underground pipelines with diameters ranging from 90 mm to 250 mm, providing live visual feedback and pinpointing exact locations of leakages. This technology has shown remarkable results with the detection of accumulated debris, rust, cracks, silt deposits and leak points without large-scale excavation. Further, in another innovative initiative, the Pune Municipal Corporation has planned to introduce robots equipped with cameras to detect water pipeline damages and leakages in old pipelines. Under this innovative robotic system, the remote-controlled robot is dropped inside the pipeline after digging a hole. This initiative is expected to strengthen the pipeline infrastructure and enhance its lifespan.
Alongside, smart water metering is being promoted to track water distribution and consumption accurately. In line with this, as of October 2025, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is replacing the conventional water meters with advanced, magnetically sealed and smart water meters in areas under its jurisdiction. Under this initiative, about 16,000 faulty and outdated mechanical meters will be replaced with ultrasonic automated meter reading devices. The replacement programme covers a wide range of pipeline sizes ranging from 15 mm domestic connections to 300 mm bulk supply lines. Of the total 16,000 meters, 13,860 meters are designated for 15 mm connections, 334 for 25 mm lines, and the remainder for larger pipelines of up to 300 mm, marking a significant step towards modernising NDMC’s water pipeline infrastructure. Similarly, as of June 2025, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board is set to install 100,000 smart water meters in residences, including apartments measuring more than 2,500 square feet. Likewise, the Kerala Water Authority is planning to install digital flow meters to measure water distribution and identify abnormal flow patterns in the water supply through the pipelines.
Navigating future steps
Water pipeline infrastructure in India has been witnessing significant progress in terms of development, innovation and coverage. The sector is gradually moving away from traditional and manual systems towards intelligent and self-monitoring networks powered by data-driven analytics. This transition is supported by the increasing use of durable pipeline materials such as high-density polyethylene, ductile iron and composite pipes, which provide greater durability, require less maintenance and offer stronger resistance to leakages. In coastal and water-stressed regions, desalination projects integrated with pipeline networks are vital for diversifying sources and ensuring supply. Marking a gradual but significant progress, in January 2025, VA Tech Wabag won a contract to lay a 22 km desalination water pipeline and a 10 inch reverse osmosis reject line between Chennai Petroleum Corporation’s Manali refinery and the Kattupalli desalination plant in Ennore, Tamil Nadu.
In the near future, many pipeline infrastructure projects are expected to be developed in India. As per India Infrastructure Research, around 650,000 km of water supply pipeline is expected to be laid by 2030, and about 27,750 km of wastewater pipeline is expected to be laid by 2028. While these numbers reflect visionary progress, the pace of pipeline upgradation and development must accelerate and expand more evenly across regions to ensure long-term water security.
