SECR to keep track of its assets using drones
| Date :24-Jun-2019 |
By Sagar Mohod:
Accelerating move towards paperless office, South East Central Railway (SECR), Nagpur Division, is going for aerial mapping of its assets to do away with conventional records. As part of the process, the Engineering Branch is in process of roping in private agency to provide technical know how for achieving the aim. A K Suryawanshi, Sr. Divisional Engineer (Co-ord), said that the mapping of six railway stations would be done using the drones to provide high resolution data. The process is also new for us and is being done as per orders of Railway Board that is keen on leveraging technology to its full potential on pan-India basis.
So apart from filming area through low altitude aerial mapping around the railway stations, the division is also documenting its track network to have entire details in digital format. The survey of tracks would be done using orthophoto/phtogrammetry survey by unmanned aerial survey or drone. The track survey while covering the area would also have minute details of surrounding area, the bridges and their condition. Apart from that the survey would help divisional officials from having pinpoint information about track condition that can be visualised by studying the aerial visuals.
A look at video footage with high pixels can reveal exact conditions of tracks any problems on ground would be revealed in time using thereby helping us in further enhancing the safety on tracks, added Suryawanshi. He further said once the agency submits the data it will be processed at division and aim is to integrate the same with track management system. It will come handy in future whenever there is need for expansion or also in case there is some emergency on tracks the digitised records can be referred to rollout the plans. The six stations that are identified for filming using the drones are Gondia, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Ballarshah, Itwari and Bhandara. Right now in conventional system, the contractor takes physical measurement of land and jots down details of every assest on paper.
This was not only time consuming but the maps so provided after completion of work were bulky and needed large space to safeguard the same for years together. Further the maps sometimes would be short of required so railway staff again had to get them proof checked and remove deficiencies. Similarly in case any expansion plans were to be carried out again field staff needed to cross check the maps and match the same. But with digitised record every minute information about the station is recorded with Geo Positioning System (GPS) there is cent per accuracy.
Another major advantage with digitised format is that in case any plans are afoot for expansion, officers at Headquarters and Board level can immediately access the same and take quick decision. This would do away with need to take information from division by headquarters first and then relay the same to Board. The lower rung officials also welcomed the move to go for digitised record, saying it will help in future in case dispute arises over exact portion of land with Railways. Most of time the physical maps are used right now by field staff, mainly Permanent Way Inspector (PWI) to sort out disputes about Railway's land that is vulnerable to encroachment. Normally Railways has some extra land by side of tracks and at many places beyond that lays land used by farmers and they tend to move into former's area. This can now be easily identifiable owing to use of drones.