Coal India's ECL deploys AI drones to monitor green cover in mining areas

Coal India subsidiary Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) on Wednesday said it has deployed AI-driven drones to assess green cover and scientific reclamation of land in its Sonepur-Bazari mining area in West Bengal.

The company said the assessment involved drone-based orthomosaic mapping, GIS- and GPS-enabled spatial validation, vegetation health analysis and ecological surveys for ground verification.

High-resolution UAV surveys combined with advanced geospatial analytics to objectively evaluate plantation performance and ecological restoration are part of the exercise, a company statement said.

The study is being conducted by the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CSIR-CIMFR).

The integrated approach enables a data-driven evaluation of plantation survival rates, canopy development, species composition, spatial distribution and overall reclamation success, the statement said.

 

The use of AI and UAV technologies enhances accuracy, scalability and consistency in environmental monitoring, supporting informed decision-making for mine closure planning and long-term ecological management, the ECL said.

Eastern Coalfields Ltd is a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd and operates in West Bengal and Jharkhand, and was targeting 58 million tonne of coal production in 2025-26.