The fighting in Sri Lanka?s years of civil war might be over, but for the civilians, the peace can still be perilous. Thousands of landmines, left behind as a stark reminder of the conflict between the government forces and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadres, litter the landscape in North and North East Sri Lanka. People walking down a hill or going into their agriculture fields run the risk of stepping on a mine and losing a limb. In short, landmines and explosive remnants of war are taking a heavy toll on people?s livelihoods, the island nation?s economic and social development, and international peace-building efforts.
Human suffering on account of mines is not confined to Sri Lanka alone. If the minefields of Angola were the focus of worldwide attention when late Princess Diana worked tirelessly for the cause of banning landmines, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mozambique, Rwanda, Thailand, Cambodia and Honduras are only a few of the many nations suffering from a severe landmine problem. About 70 countries are affected by landmines or explosive remnants of war, which together claimed nearly 5,200 human lives around the world last year. Landmines also take a heavy toll on the Indian security forces engaged in counter insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and the North East.
Strangely, despite millions of dollars being invested in defence equipment research over the last few years, deminers?military personnel given the task of clearing landmines?still use traditional prodders and metal detectors. So far, the biggest recent technical innovation has been the mechanical vegetation clearance vehicle. Small and lightweight enough to be transported on a small truck, this remote-controlled vehicle is able to cut all kinds of vegetation and is able to withstand the detonation of a mine or unexploded shell up to 82 mm in diameter. A number of mechanical mine clearing machines have been constructed for military use, and some of these machines have been partially adapted and tested by armed forces during recent years.
Nevertheless, the choice for countries in Asia and Africa often involves comparing hi-tech, imported equipment to traditional locally made alternatives that are not as fast, but are much cheaper. In humanitarian demining, the choice has to be between different speeds and costs and not just different levels of safety. Aside from body armour , metal detectors, prodders and a strong dose of courage, hi-tech maps are now an essential piece of kit for teams heading out to clear landmines. A British agency called MapAction?which provides aid agencies with vital information on the relief effort after floods, volcanoes and earthquakes?has been working with the Mine Advisory Group (MAG) to improve maps for their demining operations. MapAction CEO Nigel Woof, says, ?The same modern technologies and techniques used by the company in natural disasters can also help deminers. You need a means to identify where you?re going to visit, to log where you?ve been and to record the information of what you have found there. A mapping system is absolutely crucial.?
Data such as population density, wealth distribution, age and a range of other characteristics have become increasingly important to deminers who need to plan operations. Thankfully, modern computer technology can now translate that information and plot it onto a map. An officer with the Indian Army says, ?If you can overlay data you have for landmines with human data, then you can start to look at the problem in different ways.?
Now, using computer software and data from handheld positioning systems such as global positioning systems (GPS), programmers can plot several different data sets on one map to help the military personnel looking for mines. The underlying information flow has to be good in order for technologies like geographic information systems (GIS) and satellite location systems like GPS to be effective, reveal Indian security officials.
The eradication of landmines has been calculated at requiring more than 240 years. This would involve thousands of personnel?an activity courting great danger. However, if a machine is used, it is possible to minimise the danger of accidents while dramatically hastening the speed at which the work can be performed. However, military devices are designed to clear only a navigable path through a field rather than remove all the mines in the area.
Arms companies in developed countries are working overtime to develop sophisticated demining machines which can crush or explode landmines buried near the surface by scratching at and pounding upon the ground. In many cases, such machines will utilise a structure or function that is extremely similar to chasses or attachments for construction equipment.
Defence analysts inform that developing a demining machine that is efficient and has high levels of safety is an area for contributions to society in which the specialised technology and experience in manufacturing uniquely possessed by construction equipment manufacturers can be used to the greatest extent possible. The development of new machines, techniques, and procedures is important in humanitarian mine clearance operations. Efforts must be made to develop new procedures, technologies, standards and techniques as well as simple and inexpensive field-oriented equipment that can enhance the cost efficiency, productivity, and safety of mine clearance operations, analysts add.
According to Neeraj Gupta, managing director of a defence equipment firm called MKU, the deminers have to have special suits that are especially designed for personnel who are engaged in mine breaching and clearing operations. ?MKU demining suits not only protect against projectiles and high velocity fragments, but also against overt pressure and intense heat in close proximity of explosive detonation,? he says. These suits employ hi-tech materials for defeating multiple-threats and are ultra-light and flexible as they are manufactured from non-woven fragmentation material. The removal and destruction of all forms of landmines are vital prerequisites for any region to recover from their impact.
Modern landmines are fabricated from sophisticated non-metallic materials and incorporate advanced electronics. They are harmful because of their unknown position and are often difficult to detect. Technology has become the solution to many long-standing problems, and while current technology may be effective, it is far too limited to fully address the huge, complex and difficult landmine problems.