Proposed drone surveys, new set of rules to curb illegal mining of minor minerals: Maharashtra govt

Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) The Maharashtra government will introduce a new set of rules, amend existing laws and deploy Electronic Total Station (ETS) along with drone surveys to curb illegal mining of minor minerals, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told the assembly on Tuesday. Replying to a calling attention motion moved by MLA Sunil Prabhu, the minister said the government is adopting a comprehensive strategy that includes advanced monitoring systems, legal reforms, and technology-based surveillance to prevent illegal mining and stop revenue losses. Referring to the illegal quarrying case in Virar, Palghar district, the minister said revenue officials had inspected the site after receiving a complaint through the government portal. A dispute during the inspection led to a murder case in which eight of the nine accused have been arrested, while one accused is still absconding. Serious charges, including provisions relating to organised crime, have been invoked against the accused, he said. "The State Human Rights Commission has also taken cognisance of the matter, and orders have been issued to shut down the quarry and stone crusher involved. An ETS survey found that 4,922 brass of minerals had been illegally extracted from the site," Bawankule added. He said the government has decided to conduct ETS surveys across the state to determine the extent of illegal mining over the past several years. An advanced monitoring war room will be set up under the Konkan Divisional Commissioner's office with technical support from RailTel Corporation of India Limited to monitor mining activities, he added. "The ETS and drone surveys will begin over the next six months in sensitive districts, including Raigad, Palghar, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Ratnagiri, and will later be extended to Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other mining-affected districts," Bawankule said. He added that a committee of MLAs will be formed to recommend changes to the rules governing Minor Minerals and related laws. Based on the committee's recommendations, the government will introduce revised rules and legal amendments during the winter session of the state legislature. He said the government's objective is to effectively curb illegal mining, prevent revenue leakage and establish a transparent and accountable regulatory system. PTI MR NSK