UEIC (Utility Excavation Information Center), Mobile App & Common Patrolling

Abstract

There are around 15 no. of utilities & authorities in Mumbai area having their cables and utilities underground on Mumbai Roads. Whenever authorities or utilities have maintenance, repair, new installation or new project work they excavate the roads. Generally underground utilities gets damage during excavation if machines are used for excavation or care is not taken during manual excavation. This was costed around crore of rupees for Tata Power to repair the cables damaged during excavation. Approx. Similar cost incurred to other utilities. Approximate 50% of damages were due to non-prior information about excavation from authority or utilities. So followings solutions are proposed, (1) This is proposed to have one utility excavation information center in each city of India. This information center will operate through app, phone and one common patrolling team among utilities. The mobile app will be in mobiles of all authorities & utility representatives. There will be clear govt. guidelines to all utilities and authorities to give prior intimation on this mobile app or to UIC by phone otherwise excavation will be considered illegal. If any utility or authority will go for excavation then he will share the details of excavation & location on Utility information app. This information will be immediately sent to concerned persons of all utilities related to that area as per data fed in the app. Everyone can see running excavation details on map in mobile app. Concerned persons will reach at site prior to excavation and will take safeguarding measures to avoid damages. If there is network issue then excavating party can call to common utility information center phone no. and can give details of excavation which will be immediately shared to all utilities or authorities immediately through message. One point contact will reduce burdens on utilities as they will have not to talk to 10 different persons in which few could be missed. (2) This is proposed that there will be only common agency for patrolling for illegal excavations and common agency for safeguarding in the city among utilities. Common patrolling will be monitored on GPS and all uninformed excavation details will be captured through mobile app. As currently 10 utilities are having 10 separate patrolling activities costing average 2 crore to each utility and total average 20 crore. So 18 crore of utilities will be saved. Similarly there are separate safeguarding agencies which do same job but separately so that cost also Rs. 1 core each agency and total 10 crore. This cost will also reduce to 50% if common safeguarding will be used.