Quetta Voice Web Desk
A student of University of Balochistan has invented an “eye smart helmet”, equipped with latest technology to monitor mines’ conditions, detect methane gas and locate miners inside mines. Ali Gul who belongs to district Ziarat’s Sanjavi tehsil claims to bring an end to deaths of miners through this technology invented by him.
Hazardous working conditions inside coal mines of Balochistan continue to claim precious human lives almost on daily basis. Despite repeated claims, the contractors, mines owners and provincial government are yet to improve working conditions for miners.
Hailing to a downtrodden family, Ali Gul’s brother Gul Muhammad also works in a coal mine in Balochistan.
“If the miner is in danger because of gas leakage or imminent collapse, the alarm will be activated to send alarm bells to miner and outsider monitors”, Ali Gul tells Quetta Voice in an exclusive interview. He claims the product will not only save lives of miners, it will also save millions of rupees of coal mines contractors and owners.
Ali Gul also met Prime Minister Imran Khan and briefed the premier about his invention. “This is good and this talent needs to be encouraged”, Ali Gul says while quoting the premier during his meeting at PM Secretariat in Islamabad the other day.
In Balochistan, thousands of miners have lost their lives, scores disabled and injured during rampant incidents of coal mines during last few years. Neither the provincial government nor the mines owners appear to be interested in improving the working conditions for miners.
“We have started pilot project of this helmet to make sure safety of miners”, Gul says and claims to stop mines incident .
After launching of this successful project, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has allocated 14 million rupees to Ali Gul and three other colleagues to further work on this project and make sure safety of mines workers.
He has graduated from Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) as a computer engineer and currently he is studying MS in computer engineering in University of Balochistan. However, Ali also got incubated in one of their National Incubation Center in Quetta at BUITEMS. At NIC Quetta, he polished his skills.
Dr. Waheed Noor is the project director of Eye Smart Helmet and has expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
