Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Monday, 13 March 2017

A Matter of Shame !



DNA ( 11 March 2017 ) carries following news report :




“ Install technology to detect objects on railway tracks : HC “


"This is a matter concerning the lives of thousands of Mumbaikars who travel daily by suburban trains. Prevention should be better than cure," the Bombay High Court observed on Friday while directing the Central and Western Railways to look up and install technology which will help detect foreign objects on railway tracks.

A division bench of Justice VM Kanade and Justice PR Bora asked Railways advocate Suresh Kumar to consult senior railway officials and consider the use of technology to prevent any incidents of sabotage being planned either by miscreants, terrorists or anti-social elements, by placing boulders and slabs on tracks. This apart, CR and WR officials have been directed to place on record its decision before the court on March 17.

The bench pressed for the installation of technology because it felt that it was humanly impossible for gangmen to monitor tracks. However, it asked the Railways to increase manpower and also enlist the help of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Home Guards for the same. The question of sabotage came up after the court referred to
several cases reported in the media about foreign objects being kept on tracks at different places in the country.

The court made this observation while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by activist Sameer Zaveri, highlighting the problem of accidental deaths at railway stations.


I suppose the HC did not wish to insult the technocrats of railway by saying :


“ All over the World , thousands of kilometres of railway tracks and cross-country oil / gas pipelines are being monitored , 24*7 , through use of low flying drones .


Maharashtra Government has even sub-contracted to a private party , the job of recording speeding cars on the Mumbai – Pune Expressway and alert the highway police to catch the culprits , in real time


And if you want to do better, just request ISRO to develop / install a technology , both in the railway tracks and in the train engine , which will simply bring the speeding train to a complete halt , 100 meters ahead of any obstruction on the track


Did you listen to what Shri A S Arunkumar ( ISRO Chief ) said at the 34th Foundation Day celebration of the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology ( RRCAT ), a few days back ?


He said :


“ We have the capability to create a Space Station , but you ( government ) have to give us the money and time to make this happen
If the Government and country decides , we are ready


You need to provide us funding , policy clearance. Space mission is low priority for the government because one does not see any immediate use of this in country’s development and growth “




Dear Shri Suresh Prabhuji :



Would saving lives fall under “ Country’s development and growth “ ?


If you agree , please also inquire if ISRO can develop technology to save lives of 10 persons EVERY DAY , who get run over by local trains in Mumbai , by implementing my following suggestions ( sent to you as email ) :






·         Not soFuturistic  ? 










14  March  2017




No comments:

Post a Comment