Hey, Nitinbhai : How about automating ?

 

 

Context :

Engineers to face music for potholes on national highway: Govt  ……..  TNN   ..30 Sept 2023

 

Extract :

Government highway engineers will now be held responsible for failure to make the National Highway network pothole-free , with the Centre setting the timeline to get NHs rid of potholes by the year-end

Each project director must visit all roads at least once in every 15 days and take steps to fix any maintenance issue

In 2021, potholes caused 3,625 road accidents claiming 1,481 lives and leaving 3,064 injured. Potholes on highways also impact the speed of vehicles.

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My  Take :

Ø  2 DOWN : 1 TO GO !...........................  11  Dec  2015

 

Extract :

Leaving aside the last question , technically , it is not all that difficult to monitor those footpaths , 24 hours of the day

 

Mumbai Police is installing some 2,000 CCTV cameras all over the city to capture the terrorists

 

London has 500,000 CCTV cameras to cover every nook and corner ,24 hours  !

 

So monitoring footpaths of Mumbai , by installing 50,000 CCTV cameras, on 24 hour basis, is not a problem

 

And funds are no problem either , with MCGM having spent only 22 % of its Rs 33,000 crore budget so far , in the current year  !

 

On top of that , it is having fixed deposits worth Rs 45,000 Crores in banks  !

 

After installing those 50,000 video cameras , use following software ( embedded in a computerized CCTV network ) to compute the monthly salary of each ward officer :

 

Salary Payable / Payroll Salary  =

 

 ( Length of footpath in his ward clear of encroachment * Percentage of time free of encroachment )

 

      divided by 

 

( Total Length of footpath * Total Hours in that Month )

ie:  Ratio of  " Clear Kilometer*Hours  /  Total Kilometer*Hours "

 

 

Then expect a miracle of E-Governance thru innovative digitization !

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.hemenparekh.ai  /  30 Sept 2023

 

Related Readings :

Algorithm based Salary ?.................. [ 19 May 2016 ]

 

Some opinions re the feasibility of my suggestion :

BARD :

Your suggestion to automate the process of holding project engineers responsible for maintenance of National Highways and keeping them free of potholes by linking their salaries with the number of potholes on highways for which they are responsible is feasible.

Here is a possible approach:

1.     Install CCTV cameras along all National Highways.

2.     Use image processing and artificial intelligence to detect potholes in the CCTV footage.

3.     Track the number of potholes on each highway over time.

4.     Link the salaries of project engineers to the number of potholes on the highways for which they are responsible.

To ensure that the system is fair and accurate, it is important to consider the following factors:

·        The type of highway (e.g., rural vs. urban, high-traffic vs. low-traffic)

·        The climate and weather conditions in the region

·        The availability of resources for maintenance

·        The performance of other project engineers in similar roles

It is also important to implement a feedback mechanism so that project engineers can raise concerns about the system and suggest improvements.

Overall, the feasibility of your suggestion depends on the specific implementation.

However, the general approach of using technology to monitor and hold project engineers accountable is sound.

Here are some additional thoughts on your suggestion:

·        It would be important to use a transparent and objective algorithm to link the salaries of project engineers to the number of potholes on the highways for which they are responsible.

·        It would also be important to provide project engineers with the resources and support they need to keep highways pothole-free.

·        It would be interesting to see how this system could be used to improve the maintenance of other types of infrastructure, such as bridges and roads.

 

 

ChatGPT :

Your idea of linking project engineers' salaries to the maintenance of National Highways, specifically targeting the reduction of potholes, is an interesting concept.

However, there are several considerations and challenges to address:

1.     Feasibility:

·        Implementing such a system would require a significant amount of infrastructure and technology, including CCTV cameras and software for monitoring and data analysis.

·        The cost of installing and maintaining these cameras and systems may be substantial.

2.     Accuracy and Accountability:

·        The accuracy of such a system in counting and identifying potholes would be crucial. False positives or negatives could lead to inaccuracies in assessing engineers' performance.

·        Ensuring that engineers are held accountable for the factors within their control is essential. External factors like weather and traffic conditions can also affect the formation of potholes.

3.     Fairness and Incentives:

·        The incentive structure needs to be carefully designed to ensure that engineers are motivated to maintain roads effectively without resorting to unethical practices like covering up potholes temporarily.

·        Fair performance metrics should consider factors beyond just the number of potholes, such as the quality and durability of road repairs.

4.     Data Privacy and Security:

·        Collecting and storing video data from thousands of CCTV cameras raises significant privacy and security concerns. Safeguarding this data would be critical.

5.     Administrative Complexity:

·        Managing and analyzing the data from thousands of cameras and calculating salaries based on complex algorithms could be administratively challenging.

6.     Funding:

·        As you mentioned, funding is a crucial factor. Governments would need to allocate sufficient funds to implement and maintain this system.

7.     Public Perception:

·        The public's perception of this system is also vital. Transparency in how engineers' salaries are determined and the impact on road quality must be communicated clearly to gain public trust.

8.     Technological Advances:

·        Advances in technology, particularly in artificial intelligence and computer vision, may simplify and reduce the cost of implementing such a system in the future.

In summary, while your idea has the potential to incentivize better road maintenance and reduce accidents caused by potholes, it comes with several challenges related to feasibility, accuracy, fairness, privacy, and funding.

It would require a thorough feasibility study, careful planning, and continuous monitoring and adjustment to be successful. Additionally, public and stakeholder support would be crucial for its implementation.