‘Call Before You Dig’ app launched to avoid uncoordinated digging. How it works

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched an app called ‘Call Before u Dig’, to help prevent uncoordinated digging that results in damage to underground utility assets like optical fibre cables, costing the government thousands of crores every year.

The move is a bid to reduce financial losses that occur in executing infrastructure projects, PM Modi said. The mobile application has been developed by the department of telecommunications and the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics functioning under the Gujarat government to protect underground public infrastructure across the country.

How the app will facilitate coordination?

The app will connect excavators and asset owners through SMS/Email notifications and click-to-call in bid to execute planned excavations. As per the government, its an adoption of a ‘whole-of-government approach’ in the ease of doing business as well the governance.

Also Read: PM Modi unveils Bharat 6G Vision document, launches next-gen test bed

Under the initiative, over 25,000 underground asset owner offices have been registered in the app till now, the government said. The availability of information of the utility agencies at a single place will allow excavators to keep them in loop at all the stages of project’s development, it added. Emails and messages will be automated in the process for quick alerts and timely updates will help the excavators and asset owners to ensure a planned coordination to carry out any digging activity.

Whom will it benefit?

As per govt data, one million cable cuts happen yearly in the telecom sector alone. The ‘Call Before You Dig’ app is expected to route 37 lakh route kilometres of the telecom sector’s optical fibre cable infrastructure. It will additionally prevent damage to the underground public infrastructure such as water and gas pipelines as well as electricity cables.

The government said the app’s services will increase the project’s efficiency and in turn benefit all the stakeholders through ease of doing business. Apart from saving money, the initiative will also reduce chances of inconvenience caused to the commuters and the common public that occur when such damages take place as there will be lesser disruption in road, telecom, water, etc services.