India-Pitch-Pilot-Scale-Startup Challenge - AMRUT 2.0

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

FW-01
Sub-area (a)

Ward-Level Groundwater Monitoring

Groundwater levels and extraction are not measured at ward level. There is no low-cost, automated way to monitor borewell levels and abstraction across a city to track depletion and regulate extraction.

FW-02
Sub-area (b)

Monitoring of Urban Lakes and Ponds

Encroachment, sewage inflows and loss of water spread in urban lakes and ponds are noticed only after damage is done. There is no affordable, automated system to monitor water spread, inflows and quality of urban water bodies continuously.

FW-03
Sub-area (c)

Verification of Rainwater Harvesting Structures

Rooftop rainwater harvesting is mandated but not checked after approval. There is no low-cost means to verify remotely that structures exist, function and recharge groundwater.

FW-04
Sub-area (d)

Continuous Monitoring at Raw Water Intakes

Raw water at intakes is tested periodically, so sewage or sludge entering the source is detected only after contaminated water is supplied. Affordable real-time sensing with alerts at intakes is not available to ULBs.

FW-05
Sub-area (e)

Measuring Spring and Stream Yields in Hill Towns

Discharge of springs and streams feeding hill towns is not measured through the year. There is no rugged, low-power device to record yields in remote terrain and forecast dry-season shortfalls.

FW-06
Sub-area (f)

Salinity Ingress in Coastal Aquifers

Seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers is noticed only after borewells turn saline. There is no low-cost sensor network to track salinity in borewells and warn before wells are lost.

FW-07
Sub-area (g)

Low-Maintenance Treatment for Small Towns

Small towns cannot run conventional treatment plants that need skilled operators and continuous power. Compact, low-energy, low-maintenance treatment units that small towns can operate are not available.

FW-08
Sub-area (h)

Ultra-Low-Cost Residual Chlorine Testing at the Consumer End

Free residual chlorine at consumer taps is rarely tested because kits are costly and need trained staff. An ultra-low-cost, easy-to-use device for rapid chlorine measurement, ideally with smartphone, GPS and digital recording, is needed.

FW-09
Sub-area (i)

Regular Water Quality Monitoring in Hill Towns

Water quality at scattered sources and supply points in hill towns is tested irregularly because of difficult access and distant laboratories. There is no portable or remote monitoring system suited to hilly terrain that reports results to the ULB.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

HI-01
Sub-area (a)

Simple, Low-Cost Hydraulic Analysis for Water Distribution Networks

Routine checks of flow, velocity, pressure and head loss need specialised modelling software and skills that ULB engineers lack. A simple, field-friendly tool for hydraulic calculations using readily available network data is not available.

HI-02
Sub-area (b)

Accurate GIS Maps of Water Networks

Pipelines, valves and house connections are not mapped accurately, and manual surveys are slow and costly. There is no rapid, low-cost technique to map underground water networks into GIS.

HI-03
Sub-area (c)

Automatic Creation and Updating of Hydraulic Models from GIS and Field Data

Hydraulic models are built manually and are not updated as networks change. There is no tool that automatically converts GIS and network data into hydraulic models and keeps them updated with field data.

HI-04
Sub-area (d)

Turning SCADA and Sensor Data into Operator Alerts

Data from SCADA, flow meters and sensors is collected but not cleaned or combined, so it is not used in daily operations. There is no analytics layer that converts this data into alerts and actions for operators.

HI-05
Sub-area (e)

AI-Based Fault Diagnosis in Water Supply Networks

The cause of low or no supply, leakage, valve malfunction, blockage or pump failure is found through manual troubleshooting. An AI-based decision-support system combining network, sensor and field data to identify likely faults is not available.

HI-06
Sub-area (f)

Smart Demand Forecasting and Reservoir (ESR) Operation

Pumping and reservoir (ESR) filling are scheduled manually, causing overflow, short supply and avoidable pumping. There is no AI/IoT-based system to forecast demand and optimise pumping and ESR operation.

HI-07
Sub-area (g)

Forecasting Seasonal Water Availability

Seasonal yield of reservoirs, rivers and wells supplying the city is not forecast, so supply cuts are planned only after shortages begin. There is no data-driven tool to forecast source availability months ahead.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

UW-01
Sub-area (a)

Moving from Intermittent to Continuous Supply

In intermittent systems, pressure in each zone is not known, causing unequal distribution and contamination when empty pipes draw in polluted water. Low-cost pressure sensing and automated valve control to equalise supply are not available to ULBs.

UW-02
Sub-area (b)

Safe Water Supply to Slums and Informal Settlements

Slum households without individual connections rely on stand-posts, tankers or vendors and get less water of unverified quality. There is no affordable, community-managed supply and dispensing system that assures quantity and quality.

UW-03
Sub-area (c)

Restoring Dependable Water Supply in Hill Towns

Ageing pipelines in hill towns have failed and steep terrain makes pumping, storage and pressure management difficult. Affordable technologies for source development, gravity distribution and pressure control suited to hill towns are lacking.

UW-04
Sub-area (d)

Predicting Pump Failures for Preventive Maintenance

Pumps fail without warning, causing supply interruptions and emergency repairs. A low-cost system to monitor vibration, current, temperature, discharge and pressure and predict failures is needed.

UW-05
Sub-area (e)

Detecting Sewage Intrusion into Drinking Water Pipes

Sewage entering drinking water pipes through leaking joints is detected only after disease is reported. There is no affordable in-pipe sensing that detects contamination events in real time and locates the source.

UW-06
Sub-area (f)

Safe Management of Brine from Desalination and RO Plants

Desalination and RO plants reject a large share of intake as concentrated brine that is dumped into drains or soil. High-recovery treatment and safe, low-cost brine management technologies are needed.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

NR-01
Sub-area (a)

Low-Cost Detection of Underground Leaks and Non-Revenue Water

Underground leaks and bursts cannot be located quickly with available equipment, keeping non-revenue water above the AMRUT 2.0 target of less than 20%. Economical leak detection using pressure, flow, acoustic, IoT or other techniques is needed.

NR-02
Sub-area (b)

Water Balance Through Bulk Metering

Bulk flows at sources, treatment plants and reservoirs are not metered, so losses cannot be quantified or located. Affordable bulk flow meters with automated water-balance analysis are not available to small ULBs.

NR-03
Sub-area (c)

Accurate, Tamper-Proof Consumer Meters

Mechanical consumer meters stall, are tampered with or register air as water during intermittent supply. A low-cost, tamper-proof meter that reads accurately under intermittent supply and transmits readings remotely is needed.

NR-04
Sub-area (d)

Finding Illegal and Unbilled Connections

Illegal and unbilled connections draw water without payment and are found only through door-to-door surveys. There is no data-driven method to detect such connections from network, billing and field data.

NR-05
Sub-area (e)

Reducing Wastage at Taps and Fixtures

Taps at stand-posts and homes are left running during supply hours, and conventional fixtures use more water than needed. Low-cost self-closing taps, flow regulators and smart fixtures that record usage are needed.

NR-06
Sub-area (f)

Water Audits of Public Buildings

Water use in schools, hospitals and offices is not metered, so internal leaks and wasteful fixtures go unnoticed. There is no affordable sub-metering and leak-alert system for public buildings.

NR-07
Sub-area (g)

Replacing Pipes by Risk, Not After Bursts

Pipes are replaced after bursts rather than by condition and risk. There is no tool to assess pipe condition non-invasively and rank stretches for renewal by likelihood and impact of failure.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

SW-01
Sub-area (a)

Mapping and Condition Assessment of Sewers

Sewer lines and manholes are not fully mapped and their condition is unknown, so collapses and infiltration are found after failure. Rapid, low-cost inspection and mapping of sewers, such as robotic or camera-based surveys, is needed.

SW-02
Sub-area (b)

Early Detection of Sewer Blockages and Overflows

Sewer blockages and overflows are found through public complaints after sewage spills onto streets. Low-cost sensors in manholes that detect rising levels and predict blockages are not available to ULBs.

SW-03
Sub-area (c)

Underused Sewage Treatment Plants

Urban India generates about 72,368 MLD of sewage but treats about 20,235 MLD, and installed STP capacity remains unused. There is no tool to trace where sewage is lost between households and plants so that connections can be fixed.

SW-04
Sub-area (d)

Continuous Monitoring of Treated Effluent

STP outlet quality is tested through infrequent grab samples, so non-compliance goes undetected. Affordable online sensors for key effluent parameters with automatic reporting are needed.

SW-05
Sub-area (e)

Sewage Treatment Where Sewers Are Not Feasible

Small and hill towns where sewers are not feasible have no affordable option to treat sewage and greywater. Compact, low-energy, low-maintenance decentralised treatment suited to slopes and cold climates is needed.

SW-06
Sub-area (f)

Scaling Up Reuse of Treated Water

Treated used water is not reused at the scale targeted under AMRUT 2.0 because buyers cannot be assured of quality and supply. Technologies that upgrade and certify treated water for specific uses, and platforms that match supply with buyers, are needed.

SW-07
Sub-area (g)

Low-Water Public Urinals

Public urinals depend on flushing water, and existing waterless urinals fall out of use because of odour and maintenance problems. Durable, odour-free, low-maintenance waterless urinal technology is needed.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

UM-01
Sub-area (a)

Tracking Desludging from Collection to Disposal

Desludging trips are not tracked, so septage is dumped in drains and fields while treatment plants run below capacity. A low-cost digital system to schedule, track and verify desludging from collection to disposal is needed.

UM-02
Sub-area (b)

Safe On-Site Sanitation in Slums

Toilets in slums are connected to poorly built pits and tanks that overflow or leak into drains and groundwater. Compact, sealed on-site treatment units that fit small plots are needed.

UM-03
Sub-area (c)

Affordable Mechanised Cleaning for Small Towns

Jetting and robotic cleaning machines are too costly for small towns, so cleaning still depends on manual entry. Affordable, compact mechanised or robotic cleaning equipment is needed.

UM-04
Sub-area (d)

Preventing Deaths of Sanitation Workers

Sanitation workers entering sewers and septic tanks die from toxic gases and lack of oxygen. Low-cost wearable gas detection and worker-monitoring devices with automatic alerts are needed.

UM-05
Sub-area (e)

Greywater Reuse in Buildings

Greywater from large buildings and campuses goes to sewers instead of being reused. Simple, compact greywater treatment systems that need little space and maintenance are needed.

UM-06
Sub-area (f)

Converting Sludge into Usable Products

Faecal sludge and STP sludge are dumped or landfilled. Technologies that convert sludge into safe compost, biochar or energy at small-town scale are needed.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

UF-01
Sub-area (a)

Mapping Waterlogging Hotspots

Waterlogging locations are known only from complaints, so the same spots flood every monsoon. There is no tool that maps flood hotspots from rainfall, drainage and elevation data and ranks them for action.

UF-02
Sub-area (b)

Street-Level Flood Warning

Flood warnings are not issued at ward or street level. A hyperlocal rainfall and flood forecasting system with alerts to residents, traffic police and emergency services is needed.

UF-03
Sub-area (c)

Monitoring Drain Condition Before It Floods

Drain condition is not monitored, so choked drains are found only when streets flood. Low-cost sensors or imagery-based methods to detect silt and solid-waste blockage in drains are needed.

UF-04
Sub-area (d)

Detecting Encroachment on Drains and Floodplains

Encroachment on drains, lake beds and floodplains is detected through periodic surveys after capacity is lost. Automated change detection using satellite or drone imagery is not used by ULBs.

UF-05
Sub-area (e)

Drains Designed for Outdated Rainfall

Drains designed on historical rainfall overflow in short, intense storms. There is no simple tool to check drain capacity against current rainfall intensities and identify stretches to upgrade.

UF-06
Sub-area (f)

Holding Rainwater Where It Falls

Paved plots, roads and filled-in open spaces send almost all rainfall into drains at once. Modular, low-cost runoff retention and infiltration products for plots, roads and open spaces are needed.

UF-07
Sub-area (g)

Keeping Essential Services Running During Floods

Pumping stations, substations and STPs in low-lying areas flood during heavy rain, cutting water, sewerage and power. Flood-proofing and early-warning technologies that keep these assets running are needed.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

WG-01
Sub-area (a)

Measured Service-Level Data

Service-level indicators such as hours of supply and per capita supply are reported from estimates. There is no low-cost way to measure these indicators automatically and display them on a dashboard.

WG-02
Sub-area (b)

Digital Billing and Collection for Water Services

Water charges recover only part of O&M costs because billing is irregular and connections are unrecorded. Simple digital billing, metering-to-bill integration and payment tools suited to small ULBs are needed.

WG-03
Sub-area (c)

Treating Repeated Complaints as Warning Signs

Grievance systems close complaints individually, so repeated complaints of dirty or no water from one locality are not recognised as a health risk. An analytics tool that clusters complaints and flags emerging risks is needed.

WG-04
Sub-area (d)

Publishing Supply Schedules and Allocation

Citizens have no reliable information on when water will be supplied, especially during shortages. A system that publishes real-time supply schedules and tanker allocation to citizens is needed.

WG-05
Sub-area (e)

Linking Records Across Departments

Water, sewerage, health and building permission records sit in separate systems, so risks such as soak pits built over water mains are missed. A platform that links these records on a common map and flags conflicts is needed.

WG-06
Sub-area (f)

Measuring the Effect of Water Awareness Campaigns

The effect of water conservation campaigns on household consumption is not measured. Digital engagement tools that give households feedback on their use and measure behaviour change are needed.

WG-07
Sub-area (g)

Planning Towards Net Zero Water

Campuses, townships and government buildings cannot measure consumption, recycling and recharge together. A tool to track water flows and plan towards net zero water is needed.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

AQ-01
Sub-area (a)

Ward-Level Air Quality Monitoring

Regulatory monitoring stations are too few to identify ward-level pollution hotspots. Calibrated low-cost sensor networks with reliable data quality are needed.

AQ-02
Sub-area (b)

Measuring the Effect of Road Dust Control

The effect of road sweeping, sprinkling and paving on dust levels is not measured. A method to measure road dust loads and verify the effect of control measures is needed.

AQ-03
Sub-area (c)

Continuous Dust Compliance at Construction Sites

Dust control at construction sites is checked through occasional inspections. Continuous, tamper-proof dust monitoring at sites with automatic alerts to the ULB is needed.

AQ-04
Sub-area (d)

Tracking Construction and Demolition Waste

Construction and demolition waste is dumped illegally because its movement is not tracked. A digital system to track waste from generation to processing plants is needed.

AQ-05
Sub-area (e)

Early Detection of Open Burning

Open burning of waste and biomass is detected too late for action. Automated detection using cameras, satellite data or sensors with location alerts to enforcement teams is needed.

AQ-06
Sub-area (f)

Forecasting Poor-Air Days and Their Sources

Cities lack short-term air quality forecasts and current source identification. A forecasting and source-apportionment tool that tells the ULB which actions to take before poor-air days is needed.

AQ-07
Sub-area (g)

Indoor Air Quality in Public Buildings

Indoor air in schools, hospitals and crowded public buildings is not monitored. Low-cost indoor monitors linked to ventilation or purification are needed.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

EE-01
Sub-area (a)

Efficiency of Municipal Pumps and Motors

Efficiency of pumps and motors at water and sewage pumping stations is not measured, so worn and wrongly sized pumps keep wasting electricity. Low-cost, non-invasive tools to measure pump efficiency continuously are needed.

EE-02
Sub-area (b)

Energy Baselines for Municipal Assets

Electricity use of individual municipal assets is not metered, so savings cannot be verified. An affordable energy monitoring platform that sets baselines and verifies savings is needed.

EE-03
Sub-area (c)

Using Solar and Biogas at Municipal Facilities

Rooftops and land at municipal facilities are not used for solar, and biogas potential at treatment plants is unused. Design tools and compact solar, storage and biogas solutions for municipal facilities are needed.

EE-04
Sub-area (d)

Energy Use in Municipal Buildings

Lighting, cooling and equipment in municipal offices, hospitals, schools and markets run inefficiently and outside working hours. Smart controls and monitoring that cut building energy use are needed.

EE-05
Sub-area (e)

Avoidable Demand and Tariff Charges

Municipal connections are on unsuitable tariffs and contract demands, and heavy loads run at peak hours. A tool that analyses bills and load data and schedules loads to cut demand charges and penalties is needed.

EE-06
Sub-area (f)

Fuel Use of Municipal Vehicles

Fuel use of garbage trucks, water tankers and other municipal vehicles is not tracked and routes are not optimised. Telematics and route optimisation suited to municipal fleets are needed.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

SL-01
Sub-area (a)

Remote Control of Streetlights

Streetlights run on fixed timers or manual switches, so they burn in daylight or fail to switch on. Remote control and adaptive dimming that work with existing lights and panels are needed.

SL-02
Sub-area (b)

Verifying Streetlight Energy Savings

Streetlight circuits are not metered, so savings claimed from LED conversion or dimming cannot be verified. Circuit-level metering and analytics that set a baseline and verify savings are needed.

SL-03
Sub-area (c)

Detecting Faults Before Complaints

Failed lights are found through citizen complaints and repaired days later. Automatic fault detection and failure prediction that generate repair orders are needed.

SL-04
Sub-area (d)

Continuity of Maintenance After Contracts End

When LED maintenance contracts end, asset records and fault history are lost and lights go out of service. A digital asset register and maintenance management system that ULBs can take over is needed.

SL-05
Sub-area (e)

Mapping Dark Spots for Road Safety

India recorded 1,72,890 road deaths in 2023, about one in five of them pedestrians, but locations where poor or failed lighting endangers road users are not identified. Tools that map dark spots from imagery and operating data and link them to crash records are needed.

SL-06
Sub-area (f)

Detecting Theft of Fittings and Cables

Theft of and tampering with streetlight fittings and cables is detected late. Low-cost tamper and theft detection with instant alerts is needed.

ID

Problem Statement

Challenge / Existing Problem

CR-01
Sub-area (a)

Ward-Level Heat-Risk Mapping and Warning

Heat exposure and heat-related illness are not mapped at ward level, so heat action plans cannot target the most affected localities. A ward-level heat-risk mapping and early-warning system is needed.

CR-02
Sub-area (b)

Cooling Heat-Trapping Neighbourhoods

Dense, low-income localities with tin or concrete roofs trap heat by day and night. Affordable cool-roof materials and passive cooling solutions for such housing are needed.

CR-03
Sub-area (c)

Planning Blue-Green Infrastructure

The city cannot identify where blue-green measures will give the most cooling and recharge. A planning tool combining heat, land-use and drainage data to locate these measures is needed.

CR-04
Sub-area (d)

Landslide Warning in Hill Towns

Slopes in hill towns are not monitored, so landslides strike without warning. Low-cost slope and rainfall sensors with early warning to residents are needed.

CR-05
Sub-area (e)

Early Fire Detection in Dense Areas

Fires in dense markets and informal settlements spread before detection. Affordable fire detection and alerting suited to dense layouts and weak power supply are needed.

CR-06
Sub-area (f)

Faster Restoration of Services After Disasters

After disasters, restoration of water, sewerage and power takes days because damage information is not available. Rapid damage assessment using drones, imagery or sensors linked to asset maps is needed.

CR-07
Sub-area (g)

Heat Protection for Outdoor Workers

Sanitation workers, traffic staff, vendors and construction workers work through peak heat without warning. Wearable or mobile heat-stress alerts and low-cost personal cooling are needed.