Hyderabad: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is set to roll out an advanced AI-powered water surveillance system that can detect heavy metals, industrial chemicals, microbial indicators, and emerging pollutants at parts-per-billion levels.
The technology can help prevent major public health threats.
GHMC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and All India Institute of Medical Sciences to establish a next-generation real-time water quality monitoring and early warning system across the city.
The project, expected to commence during the third quarter of this year, aims to strengthen water safety, environmental intelligence, and public health protection through the use of advanced scientific technologies and artificial intelligence.
AI and advanced spectroscopy to monitor water quality
Unlike conventional water testing methods that rely heavily on laboratory analysis and can identify only a limited number of known pollutants, the proposed system will use advanced nonthermal plasma spectroscopy combined with AI-driven spectral analysis.
Officials said the technology can rapidly analyse the complete optical signature of water samples and detect a broad range of contaminants, including heavy metals, industrial chemicals, microbial indicators, and emerging pollutants.
The system is also designed to identify unusual contamination patterns that may indicate previously undetected environmental or public health risks.
According to officials, the platform has already demonstrated the capability to detect contaminants with extremely high precision, matching or exceeding traditional laboratory standards.
Real-time alerts and rapid response mechanism
As part of the initiative, water samples collected from different parts of Hyderabad will be analysed through a centralized digital platform capable of real-time monitoring, pattern recognition, and rapid alert generation.
Authorities said the system would help civic and public health agencies respond quickly to contamination threats and improve long-term decision-making related to urban water management.
During the initial 12-month pilot phase, the programme is expected to process more than 25,000 water samples across the Hyderabad metropolitan region and generate nearly 1.9 million analytical data points related to chemical, elemental, and microbiological parameters.
IIT Kharagpur to guide scientific framework
The School of Water Resources at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur will play a central role in guiding the scientific and remediation strategy of the initiative.
Researchers and experts from the institute will assist the Telangana government in identifying contamination pathways, analysing infrastructure vulnerabilities, and developing long-term remediation strategies.
The collaboration will also involve participation from engineers and researchers associated with premier institutions, including the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
Telangana eyes national model in smart water governance
Speaking on the occasion, Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, MA&UD, said Telangana has consistently aimed to position itself at the forefront of technology-led governance and public welfare.
He said the initiative could eventually serve as a national model for environmental intelligence and water safety systems.
"This initiative represents a major step toward proactive, data-driven public-health protection," he said.
Statewide expansion planned after pilot phase
Officials said the Hyderabad initiative is expected to pave the way for a larger statewide environmental intelligence network capable of continuously monitoring water systems and identifying risks at an early stage.
The long-term vision includes strengthening public-health resilience, supporting infrastructure planning, and improving sustainable urban water governance across Telangana.
The programme also aligns with national initiatives such as the Jal Jeevan Mission and global sustainable development goals related to clean water and public health.
Strict data security measures promised
As part of the MoU framework, authorities said all environmental and analytical data generated through the initiative would be protected under stringent cybersecurity and data governance protocols.
Access to monitoring outputs and system intelligence will remain restricted to authorised Government of Telangana agencies and designated institutional partners.
GHMC Commissioner R V Karnan and other senior officials were present during the announcement.