This is the entry to a typical telemetry building. At each site, was a uniformed Bangla
defence forces guard and at least one Titas Gas guard and often a TWX guard to keep
an eye on the others.
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Photographs were precious to everyone I came across. For ordinary people, a photograph was
beyond their means. The guards loved to pose and salute. I'd would give them copies of their
pictures whenever I returned to a site.
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These two fellows had me take their picture in front of every peice of equipment at the site.
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This guy got so excited that he ran home (a lean-to against the outer wall) and got his
baby then climbed onto the microwave tower. The baby cried.
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Often the guards and their families lived in the compounds. We interrupted this one
cooking his dinner. Guards were not supposed to live inside the control building but
they did. By the time I left, all of the site personelle had moved into the compounds,
setting up stick and mat shelters against the walls.
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This fellow got the job as head guard at Trishal because he had helped capture a notorious
bandit. He had photos of himself and his platoon holding the bandit by the hair. The bandit
looked like a wild man.
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This was the crew at the station nearest Dhaka. All three guards. Their kids, goats,
and cattle are not in the picture. We never saw their wives.
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The hero guard was the only one allowed to use the radio phone - a great honor. So, we had
to have our pictures taken with him on the phone. Punjab, my second favorite driver is on the
right.
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This is a typical telemetry room in the control house. There was one exactly like it at each site.
There was the telemetry cabinet, desk, a marble floor, a "bunk" (a board on 4 legs) for the main guard,
and two windows. There was supposed to be a light but the bulb was usually gone because it had
been sold for food.
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Shahadad Hussain and I check the control points in the Bhaluka telemetry cabinet. Shahadad
had never used a screwdriver nor digital multimeter. He was in charge of the radios for the
project. The radios never worked but it wasn't his fault.
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This is a valve tree. It is the reason for the whole project. The readings from the gages and
controls were relayed from each site to Dhaka so that one operator could control the flow in
the whole system. Notice the bends in the pipe. Many had already started to frost over and
crack because of the freezing effect of the pressure differential in the gas making the turn.
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This is a field panel. There was one of these at each site to relay readings and control signals
between the sites and Dhaka. It was so damp that mould would grow on the connections. Silicone
spray fixed it.
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