Gandhinagar | Sept 05, 2017: The Gujarat government is planning to create GIS (Geographical Information System) maps for all 7,000-odd mines located in the state to check the rising incidents of illegal mining. It has also proposed to introduce a vehicle tracking and management system, which will be linked with the GIS maps, create a command and control centre in Gandhinagar and tighten the provisions of Gujarat Mineral (Prevention of Illegal Mining and Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2005, by doubling the existing penalties and enrolling end-users. The vehicle tracking and management system will make it mandatory for an estimated 18,000 vehicles transporting minerals to get themselves registered. To keep an eye on mining activities, seven IT-enabled check posts have been set up on routes with maximum traffic.
“We will map the existing 7,719 leases (major and minor minerals) using high-end Differential Global Positioning System and plot them on a seamless digital-base map of Gujarat. The project will also include mapping of historic exploration data over the same digital platform and maintain it for all ongoing activities,” said Roopwant Singh, head of Commissionerate of Geology and Mining of Gujarat government.
The GIS-based maps will empower department officials not only to visualise assets in a geospatial environment, but also help in identifying mineral-bearing areas, demarcate accurate lease areas to be auctioned, impact of mining in nearby areas and identifying illegal mining areas. “We have changed some of the rules like online registrations for end-users, especially those in construction business, mine developers, operators and mechanised machineries. The penalties have also been doubled for transportation of minerals without lawful authority to Rs 5,000 per tonne,” Singh added.
Similarly, if a vehicle is seized for illegally transporting minerals, the offender will have to pay 10 times of the market value of the mineral and vehicle. “The new rules have been approved by state government and will take effect as soon as a formal notification is issued,” the official added. The 7,719 existing mining leases cover a total area of 1,96,024 sq km. Earlier this month, The Indian Express had reported a 53 per cent spike in the illegal mining cases in Gujarat in the last four years. Some of the measures taken by the Gujarat government include mapping all 4,763 stockist and the ongoing exploration projects using satellite technology.
(Source: http://indianexpress.com/)