Digitisation of mining lease boundaries by January end

Close on the heels of Shah Commission’s visit to the state to investigate allegations of illegal mining of iron ore and manganese, the state steel and mines department has stepped up its efforts to curb illegal mining activities in the state.

In a recent meeting, the department has decided to complete the digitalization of maps of the mining lease hold areas by the end of January, 2012 adhering to the survey and demarcation norms. The commissioner-cum secretary of the state steel and mines department will review the survey works till completion.

The iron ore and manganese lessees, who have not applied for differential GPS (DGPS) yet, are directed to apply immediately. The Deputy Director of Mines of Joda region and mining officers of Koira and Baripada regions have been asked to take up the issue on priority basis.

Orissa Space Applications Centre (ORSAC), the apex body of the state for space technology applications, is also directed to complete the DGPS survey of the existing lease boundary pillars of the remaining leases in a month.

To expedite the digitalization process, the state revenue and disaster Management department and forest and environment department will provide additional manpower to Joda and Koira region for identification of reference points.

ORSAC, on receipt of DGPS coordinates of the reference points, will take action to superimpose and compare the geo reference approved lease sketches with the sketches prepared by the coordinates of the present existing boundary pillars for identifying the type and extent of encroachments.

Earlier, the state government has constituted state level committee (SLC) and district level committee (DLC) for survey and demarcation of the lease boundaries, digitalization of lease maps, superimposition of the satellite imagery with differential GPS (DGPS) survey map and its comparison with approved lease map and geo-referencing of mining maps.