New Delhi: The Ministry of Mines, through Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), has developed the Mining Surveillance System (MSS), in collaboration with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar, to use space technology for facilitating State Governments in curbing illegal mining activities in the country. MSS is a satellite-based monitoring system which aims to establish a regime of responsive mineral administration, through public participation, by facilitating State Governments in curbing instances of illegal mining. Any unusual land use change activity observed on satellite imagery in a zone up to 500m from the boundary of mining lease area is captured and flagged off as Triggers, which may also include illegal mining. The wider use of Satellite Remote Sensing Technology together with Information Technology will offer quick, transparent and periodic monitoring of mining leases including easy access to remote areas. The MSS also includes user-friendly mobile-app for use of mining officials which will receive alerts, do field verification and submit inspection reports. This mobile app also aims to establish a participative monitoring system where the citizens also can use this app and report unusual mining activity which will be generated as a trigger. The site verification of the trigger would be done by officials of mining departments of concerned States, who will also take appropriate action in cases of illegal mining.
This information was given by the Minister of State (IC) in the Ministry of Mines, Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy Shri Piyush Goyal in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
