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 ) :
14 March
2017
www.hemenparekh.in / blogs