Water Corporation Of Odisha Pilots Smart Meters In Five Cities
ECONOMY & POLICY

Water Corporation Of Odisha Pilots Smart Meters In Five Cities

The Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) is set to replace mechanical water meters with smart meters in urban areas. The Housing and Urban Development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said the corporation has started installing smart meters in five cities on a pilot basis, with around 50,000 smart water meters to be installed in Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Rourkela and Berhampur. The first phase will allocate 20,000 meters to Bhubaneswar, 10,000 to Cuttack and the remainder to the other cities.

The rollout aims to improve billing efficiency, reduce water wastage and strengthen resource management through smart monitoring systems, the managing director Debabrata Mohanty explained, and he indicated the replacement will not impose additional cost on consumers. The devices are intended to enable real time tracking of water use and to support water audit efforts, particularly to address non revenue water that is treated and pumped but lost before reaching users.

Officials reported that WATCO has achieved 100 per cent household water supply coverage across all 29 urban local bodies (ULBs) under its jurisdiction. As of March 2026 the utility manages a comprehensive urban water supply network serving an estimated population of 4.91 million through 763,082 household connections. The Drink From Tap initiative currently provides 24x7 potable water supply in 11 ULBs and work is under way to extend the system to 17 additional urban areas including Konark.

The corporation has increased water supply capacity to 988.89 mn litres per day, significantly exceeding the present urban demand of 700.67 mn litres per day. It is executing major infrastructure projects worth Rs 26,584.7 mn, which include a 130 mn litres per day water treatment plant in Bhubaneswar. Officials said the investments aim to support the smart meter rollout and the wider push for continuous potable supply.

The Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) is set to replace mechanical water meters with smart meters in urban areas. The Housing and Urban Development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said the corporation has started installing smart meters in five cities on a pilot basis, with around 50,000 smart water meters to be installed in Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Rourkela and Berhampur. The first phase will allocate 20,000 meters to Bhubaneswar, 10,000 to Cuttack and the remainder to the other cities. The rollout aims to improve billing efficiency, reduce water wastage and strengthen resource management through smart monitoring systems, the managing director Debabrata Mohanty explained, and he indicated the replacement will not impose additional cost on consumers. The devices are intended to enable real time tracking of water use and to support water audit efforts, particularly to address non revenue water that is treated and pumped but lost before reaching users. Officials reported that WATCO has achieved 100 per cent household water supply coverage across all 29 urban local bodies (ULBs) under its jurisdiction. As of March 2026 the utility manages a comprehensive urban water supply network serving an estimated population of 4.91 million through 763,082 household connections. The Drink From Tap initiative currently provides 24x7 potable water supply in 11 ULBs and work is under way to extend the system to 17 additional urban areas including Konark. The corporation has increased water supply capacity to 988.89 mn litres per day, significantly exceeding the present urban demand of 700.67 mn litres per day. It is executing major infrastructure projects worth Rs 26,584.7 mn, which include a 130 mn litres per day water treatment plant in Bhubaneswar. Officials said the investments aim to support the smart meter rollout and the wider push for continuous potable supply.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code