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Sat-based watch to check illegal mining
Shanmugham says private firms will not be encouraged in quarrying business.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Asserting that private firms would not be encouraged in mining business, the government on Thursday said that mining surveillance system in the state would be enhanced to curb illegal quarrying and mining activities in the mineral rich areas.
During the demand for grants to his department, Mines and Minerals Minister CVe Shanmugham told the House that notices have been issued to several private companies that are engaged in illegal mining activities in Tamil Nadu. “Private parties cannot do mining activities specially to extract important minerals,” he added.
“In addition, a total of 13,922 vehicles were seized during 2018-19. A sum of Rs 48.07 crore was imposed as penalty and collected from the persons involved in illicit mining of minerals,” he said adding “besides criminal cases had been filed against 11,862 persons and Goondas Act had been invoked against 20 persons, who indulged in illicit mining.”
On enhanced mining surveillance method, the Minister said the system was a satellite based monitoring system, which create triggers for any mining and quarry activity, within 500 metres radius from the existing mining lease boundaries. “The new system helps to identify and curb illegal mining and illegal quarrying activities in the mineral rich areas,” he added.
Explaining about the satellite surveillance, the Minister said in the system, geo-referenced cadastral maps of mining lease areas are superimposed on the latest satellite imageries such as CARTOSAT and USGS, which enable surveillance of an area within 500 meters’ radius from the existing mining lease boundaries.
“If any unauthorised mining activities are noticed, the system will generate triggers,” he said pointing out that these triggers are studied at Remote Sensing Control Centre of Indian Bureau at Udaipur in Rajasthan.
Stating that the data is then transferred to the Department of Geology and Mining for field verification, he said these triggers are verified physically going to the site and appropriate action will be taken.”
The Minister also said in a bid to increase mining and quarrying activities, the state government was pursuing with Ministry of Environment and Forests and State Environment Impact Assessment Authority for obtaining environment clearance for seven mining and quarrying projects.
Sprucing upmineral extraction
- Introduction of satellite surveillance system for small mining
- Drone system for monitoring mining areas
- Rs 26 lakh for buying laptops for the officials of Geology Department
- Insurance coverage for mining workers in the state
- Rs 2 crore for setting up Geology deputy directors’ office at Salem and Villupuram
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