Digitalization would provide impetus to the construction and infrastructure sector by fostering a collaborative mechanism, and ensuring qualitative enhancement, transparency and effective decision-making
In managing road construction and other infrastructure projects, we often don’t learn from our past experiences, so we end up making the same mistakes again and again.
That’s why there’s a need of digital transformation in road construction, quality audit, and even performance audits, which are the three most important factors for the development of durable quality infrastructure.
Financial audit is also very important, but I always tell people that performance audit is even more significant. One of the problems related to all the ministries lies with the Detailed Project Report (DPR). When we select a company for making DPR, the criteria is set at the lowest.
This is why some of these companies have so far proven to be the worst. They have been responsible for road accidents in the country.
Healthy competitive spirit
We need to identify the reasons for project delays. These days because of digital technology, everything is available. We can improve everything, and work towards perfection.
Every two or three years, we are working on maintenance. Every time we get a proposal, we implement it.
Every department and majority of people, the stakeholders, are always thinking in silos. There is no cooperation, coordination, and communication between them, which is a big problem.
For instance, in my city, there’s a Remote Sensing Application Centre. During a visit there, I suggested them to prepare the green map of every district, every Nagar Parishad, municipal authority, gram panchayat and provide me an official record, so that we can organize a state level competition for tree plantation and distribute awards for the best outcome.
This was intended to inculcate a competitive social mindset towards tree plantations. But somehow the engineers were hesitant.
Majority of people are always thinking in silos. There is no cooperation, coordination and communication between them, which is a big problem.
When I asked them the reason for their reluctance, they replied that forest officials may declare roadside plantations as forest area. Another apprehension was, when there’s a need to widen the road, objection may be raised on the ground that there are trees in the vicinity.
We often face these types of problems due to a lack of cooperation, coordination, and communication between various stakeholders. This is also the reason for a lot of project delays.
Enhancing transparency
Technology makes decision-making process transparent, time-bound, result-oriented, and qualitative, enabling us to complete projects on time.
While using technology, we need to focus on cost reduction using different types of materials, particularly waste materials. We also need to be mindful of cutting down costs without compromising on quality.
Digital technology and infrastructure is a vital subject, not only for rural sector but for roads, power projects, and all sorts of things. Digital technologies are crucial for reducing the cost and improving the quality. Time is another considerable factor. We have to improve all types of systems, and for that, we need to assess our strengths and weaknesses regularly on a case-to-case basis.
Then through the acute insights gained, we need to formulate the right policy. Digital technology usage is going to be the ultimate stage to develop quality infrastructure that meets the best global standards.
I always feel that innovation, entrepreneurship, science, technology, and research skills are harbingers of successful practices that are valuable everywhere. We term it as knowledge, and the conversion of knowledge into wealth is the future.
Our Prime Minister’s vision is to turn India into a five trillion dollar economy. In line with it, we need to develop four sectors that are crucial for the country: water, power, transport, and communication. Without it, we cannot increase our GDP growth rate, which is essential for employment generation and poverty eradication.
Note: This has been converted into a column from a speech delivered by Shri Nitin Gadkari at the GeoInfra 2022 in New Delhi
Disclaimer: Views Expressed are Author's Own. Geospatial World May or May Not Endorse it
