Centre, states meet on Sept 21 to curb illegal mining

The Centre will convene a meeting with state governments on September 21 to step up efforts in preventing illegal mining.

Among other things, issues relating to inadequate security in mining areas, state mineral policy, changes needed in the Indian Bureau of Mines, setting up of a state coordination and empowered committee will be discussed.

So far, 10 state governments – Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand – have prepared plans to prevent illegal mining. Among these, nine states – excluding Himachal Pradesh – have started monitoring transport permits. Six of these states – Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand – have introduced hologram marking/bar-coding of transport permits.

Sources in the ministry of mines told Business Standard that states have also started using satellite imagery to track illegal mining. Orissa and Rajasthan were among the first to start this process, while Goa would use satellite imagery with the help of the Indian Bureau of Mines.

While Maharahstra has initiated a dialogue with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in this regard, other states have been asked to start using the facility. However, sources said, measures initiated by the Centre and states to curb illegal mining need to be fully operationalised through inter-departmental coordination.

Rajasthan has deployed Border Home Guards in areas from where complaints about illegal mining were reported. The Jharkhand government is in talks with the Orissa government to jointly tackle inter-state problems relating to illegal mining.

Goa has devised a system of transferring information about trucks carrying iron ore in real time from weigh bridges to the State Directorate of Mines and Geology so that any illegal transportation could be tracked down.

The Centre has sought suggestions from the states on the guidelines issued by IBM on mining plan modifications by September 20. The decision was taken after states had expressed concerns that IBM has been modifying mining plans to allow increase in production of ore without adequate intimation to them.

They had also argued that the revision of mining plans is often used to increase production of ore, which is sometimes not accounted in mining operations in the concerned mining lease. This issue would also come up for discussion.