Drones to check illegal mining mooted

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sundar while disposing a PIL moved by advocate VBR Menon of KK Nagar, on Tuesday, said “We are in agreement with the submission of the petitioner appearing in person, especially in view of the large number of cases pending in the court itself about alleged illegal mining. This would facilitate detection and transparency and consequently, save the valuable time of the court. We thus, direct that a decision as to when the technology can be introduced be taken and a compliance report by the government be filed within two months.” 

The petitioner had contended that usage of aerial surveys and drones have grown manifold in mining, quarrying and other allied activities around the world including in several States in India to obtain better control and monitoring of mining and quarrying operations. Menon also submitted that the Union Ministry of Mines had already advised all the States to explore the usage of drones to check illegal mining of minerals and metals through a notification issued on November 1, 2015. 

Surveys of mines and queries by drones are being used increasingly all around the world to check and prevent illegal activities and to survey the damages to the environment. It is also being used to monitor and prevent deforestation and indiscriminate quarrying of sand, granite and other minerals. The States of Uttarakhand, Bihar and Maharashtra have already begun using aerial surveys by drones in their quarrying and mining operations and to detect illegal mining and deforestation activities, petitioner said.

The Madras High Court has sought the State to take a decision within three months on connecting Stanley Hospital and the Nehru Century Children Care Hospital by a sub-way with steps and slope for easy and safe transportation of patients attending both the hospitals. The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sundar gave the direction while disposing a PIL moved by Gouthaman of Puzhal, on Tuesday. The petitioner had submitted that hundreds of patients visited the Government Stanley hospital on OSH Road in Royapuram, daily and of them many are referred to the doctors to avail the facilities available in the Nehru Century hospital, situated opposite it. But owing to a lack of sub-way, presently the patients, some of them in stretchers and wheel-chairs with drips attached, are forced to cross the busy road, putting their safety and security into severe risk.