BWSSB to launch AI-powered ‘Blue Force’ to combat water leakage, illegal connections
Bengaluru (PTI): The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board is set to launch a new initiative called 'Blue Force', which will utilise robotic and AI-based technology to curb water leakage and crack down on illegal water and sewage connections across the city.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will inaugurate the programme on November 19, BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board said that as part of the initiative, BWSSB has formed 16 dedicated ‘Blue Force’ teams, one in each subdivision.
"These three-member teams will begin operations this week and will focus on identifying illegal connections, preventing bypass pipelines, and reducing revenue loss caused by unauthorised water use," it said.
According to the Board, to strengthen enforcement, it has partnered with a leading robotics company to deploy robotic and AI-based technology for detecting leakages and defects.
"The technology will pinpoint exact leakage locations, inspect internal pipelines, and digitally map the pipeline network. This is expected to significantly reduce unnecessary road cutting and speed up complaint resolution," it said in the statement.
The BWSSB noted that Bengaluru currently loses nearly 28 per cent of its water to leakage and illegal connections.
"The Blue Force, combined with robotic technology, aims to sharply reduce this loss and ensure fair distribution of water across the city," it added.
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Parents fear uncertainty after Karnataka govt rules out age limit relaxation for Class 1 admission
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has ruled out any relaxation of the minimum age limit for admission to Class 1 beginning with the academic year 2026-27. Following the refusal, a group of parents continues to press for leniency.
Parents of children who fall under the age of six by a small margin on the cut-off date have met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to request an exemption. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the government will not change its decision, as reported by Deccan Herald.
According to the minister, children must be six years old by June 1 to be eligible for admission to Class 1. beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. He noted that the previous relaxation was a one-time measure that was clearly confined to the 2025-26 academic year.
“If such requests are entertained every year, it will never end. While granting relaxation last year, it was explicitly stated that it applied only to one academic year. From 2026-27 onwards, the rule will be strictly implemented,” Bangarappa was quoted by DH.
Parents argue that the rigid cut-off is affecting children who are short by a few days. One parent was quoted by DH as saying that his daughter would be 12 days short of completing six years on June 1. Such parents would be forced to repeat a year despite being academically ready. Others pointed out that children promoted from LKG to UKG during the 2025-26 academic year are now facing uncertainty over their transition to Class 1.
Few parents also recalled that earlier, admissions were allowed for children aged between five years and 10 months and six years. Parents saw it as a more practical approach, with children born in November and December being disproportionately affected.
The issue of age criterion goes back to a government order issued in July 2022. The order mandated six years as the minimum age for Class 1 admission. Parents of children already enrolled in pre-primary classes, protested against the order and the state deferred implementation, announcing that the rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year.
After renewed pressure, the government granted a one-year relaxation for 2025-26, citing the large number of students affected and in consultation with the State Education Policy Commission. While announcing the exemption, the minister had stated that no further concessions would be allowed.
