Er. Vinod Kumar
Herbert Hoover, the former President of U.S.A. has once said,
” Engineering is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of imagination emerge through the aid of science to a plan on paper. Then it moves to a realisation in stone or metal or energy. Then it brings jobs and homes to men. Then it elevates the standards of living and adds to the comforts of life. This is the engineers high privilege “.
Today on 15th of September 2017 we are celebrating 50th Engineers’ Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of the legendary engineer Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. He was an eminent Indian Engineer and statesman born in a remote village of Karnataka. Being the pioneer of economic planning in India he was conferred the prestigious award of Bharat Ratna in the year 1955 for his outstanding contribution to the society. This year on the 50th Engineers’ Day the theme topic chosen is ‘ Role of Engineers in Developing India ‘.
India is still a developing country though it has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. India’s gross domestic product (GDP) or national income has grown rapidly in the recent years. Engineering is by far the largest segment of Indian industry. India’s engineering industry accounts for 27% of the total factories in the industrial sector. The engineering sector gets around 63% of share through foreign collaborations. Apart from this, India has a huge opportunity within engineering services also. The Engineering Process Outsourcing (EPO) market is expected to grow by USD 40 billion by the year 2020. With development in associated sectors such as automotive, industrial goods and infrastructure, coupled with a well developed technical human resources pool, engineering exports are growing day by day. Among developing countries, India offers the best combination of low costs, availability of skills and capabilities of manpower for the engineering sector. The bulk of capital goods required for power projects, fertilizer, cement, steel, petrochemical plants and mining equipment are made in India. Capital goods now account for 26% of total engineering exports. The country also makes construction machinery, equipment for irrigation purposes, diesel engines, tractors, transport vehicles, cotton textile and sugar mill machinery.
National development refers to the ability of a country to improve the basic infrastructure and the social welfare of the people by providing social amenities. The role of engineers in national development refers to the application of the knowledge of the mathematical and applied science gained by study, experience and practice in the provision of basic infrastructure and social amenities. Engineers whether working in public sector, private sector or as entrepreneurs have to play a great role in developing India. Role of engineers in developing India begins with the identification of the problems faced by the people. In fact mankind has been confronting with problems since the time Adam and Eve felt the need of some sort of apparel in the Garden of Eden after eating some prohibited apple. Once the problems are identified, measures can be taken for the resolution of these problems. Though by the traditional definition an engineer is a person who designs, constructs and tests structures, materials and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety and cost. But as per the modern definition an engineer is a dreamer, inventor, creator, innovator, researcher and problem solver. Engineers play a very important role in every walk of life. They convert knowledge of basic science into products. Without engineers science is just philosophy. They are versatile minds who build bridges between sciences, technology and society. Engineers contribute to the nation’s technological and industrial progress. They help improve living conditions for the common people. By virtue of our achievements in multiple fields, India stands poised to emerge as a leading nation in the 21st century. The innovation capability of our scientists and engineers will play a critical role in enabling India achieve this goal. The role of engineers in different sectors is elaborated below :-
Food for all
In India the problem of fooding still exists. Despite some initiatives by the government, lakhs of people still suffer from hunger, starvation and malnutrition. Particularly in the remote areas of the country, people face acute shortage of food items. It is the duty of the engineers to make food available and affordable to the common masses. This can be done by bringing more and more areas of waste land under cultivation and extending the irrigation facilities to remote locations.
Access to clean drinking water
Access to clean drinking water is one of India’s biggest challenges. According to UNICEF, only a quarter of the total population in India has drinking water on their premises and nearly three quarters of all diseases in India are caused by contaminants in the water supply. It is the duty of engineers to ensure that people have access to clean drinking water. This can be done by installing large scale water purification plants at the supply end of water supply schemes, running movable water purifiers through Municipal Corporations and installing water purifier sets at the public places.
Housing facilities
Housing problem is also one of India’s biggest challenges. Lakhs of people don’t have houses to live in. Many people still live on footpaths, railway stations, bus stands and other public places. Lakhs of people live in kacha houses and slums. The engineers must design low cost houses and prefabricated structures for the common masses.
Sanitation
Lack of sanitation is a major problem in developing countries like India. Collection and disposal of garbage is a major task while dealing with sanitation problems. It is imperative for engineers to tackle sanitation service problems by offering different sanitation products and services at affordable prices.
Waste Management
Urban areas of India generate 1,88,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste (68.8 million tonnes per year) , and waste generation increases by 50 percent every decade. More than 80 percent of this waste reaches open dumpsites causing public health issues, environmental degradation, and resultant climate change. There is dire need for construction of drainages, culverts, incinerators, etc.
Access to healthcare
One of the most critical needs today is access to good healthcare. Billions around the world, particularly people in the Indian subcontinent, suffer because they do not get proper access to healthcare. Even those with access have a sour experience. Health care facilities such as hospitals and dispensaries are not available in every area of India. The role of engineers is to construct healthcare institutes in different areas of the country with modern facilities so that medical facilities are provided to the masses at affordable costs.
Connectivity and public transportation
Non availability of roads and railway lines is a major problem faced by people of some areas of India. The engineers have a great role to play for planning, designing and construction of road and railway network in the country. All the hilly and rural belts of the country should be connected to the highways and other major roads. Roads and railway lines are the backbones of prosperity and development of a nation.
It is also the duty of engineers to plan, design, manufacture and sell economical transportation facilities to the masses. These include railway coaches, buses, mini buses, taxis, cars and two wheelers. There is a massive need for public transport options because everyone can not afford cab services. There is also need for construction of bridges, railroad lines, tunnels, airports, harbors, docks, aqueducts, etc.
Electricity
The discovery of electricity has paved way to the most flexible source of energy. From powering consumer appliances, to multigear machines that manufacture and assemble goods and even certain artificial intelligence in the form of computers and modern robotics, electricity is synonymous with power. India has always been a pioneer in the generation and utilization of electricity since the 19th century. Maharaja Pratap Singh established the first hydroelectric power station in Jammu & Kashmir at Mohra in Baramulla in the year 1905.
Finally, the engineers have to play their role in developing India as per the above given sectors in a time bound manner. Because time is the prime factor governing human advancement. The heart of measurement is time. Measurement is the blood of engineering.
(The author is working as Assistant Engineer (Mech) in Stores Procurement Deptt, Jammu)
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