Lok Sabha Question No. 346 (STARRED), answered on 2019-07-17
Subject: Mining Surveillance System
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Meenakashi Lekhi

## GOVERNMENT  OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK  SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION  NO. 346 ANSWERED ON 17.07.2019

## MINING SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

- *346  SHRIMATI MEENAKASHI  LEKHI:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  Mining  Surveillance  System(MSS) has  been  successful  in  curbing  illegal mining in the country; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the details of the cases in which MSS was used to indict people involved in illegal mining?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF MINES, COAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

- (a) & (b): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  346  REGARDING MINING SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM RAISED BY SHRIMATI MEENAKASHI  LEKHI  ,  HON'BLE  MEMBER  OF  PARLIAMENT  FOR  REPLY  ON 17.07.2019. (a) & (b): Yes, Sir. The Mining Surveillance System (MSS) has been successful in curbing  Illegal  Mining  activities  in  the  country.  MSS  is  a  satellite-based  monitoring system which aims to detect illegal mining activity through automatic remote-sensing detection  technology.    The  system  records  any  landform  disturbances  upto  500m beyond the lease boundary and generates trigger, which is investigated by the State Government and necessary action is taken by them. Almost all mining leases of major minerals in the country have been mapped on MSS. In  the  initial  phase(Phase-I),  based  on  the  satellite  imageries,  the  data  has  been analysed  and  a  total  296  triggers  for  mining  leases  of  major  minerals  have  been generated  across  the  country  in  the  year  2016-17.  Out  of  the  296  triggers,  the respective State Governments have verified 287 triggers.  Out of these 287 triggers, in 47  cases,  unauthorized  mining  has  been  detected  /  confirmed.  State-wise,  mineralwise breakup of unauthorized mining after verification by State as on December 2017 is given as Annexure-I. In the second phase of MSS, based on satellite imageries of the year 2017-18, the data has  been  analysed  and  52  triggers  generated.  Field  verification  of  45  triggers  have been carried out by State Governments as on 03/07/2019.  In 4 cases,  un-authorized mining was detected. The State-wise details are given as Annexure-II. The State Governments were also requested to extend the MSS for the mining leases of minor minerals.  Some State Governments have mapped few mining leases of minor minerals on pilot basis.  In total 130 triggers were generated for minor minerals, out of which 104 triggers have been verified and in 9 cases un-authorized mining have been detected. State-wise details as on 03/07/2019 is enclosed as Annexure-III.

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## Annexure- I

State-wise detail of  triggers for mining leases of Major Minerals is as under (2016-17)

| State            |   Total Triggers |   Total Inspection | Un-authorized mining cases detected   |
|------------------|------------------|--------------------|---------------------------------------|
| ANDHRA PRADESH   |               29 |                 29 | 4                                     |
| CHHATTISGARH     |                6 |                  6 | 1                                     |
| GOA              |               42 |                 42 | 12                                    |
| GUJARAT          |               32 |                 32 | 12                                    |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH |               11 |                 11 | -                                     |
| JHARKHAND        |                1 |                  1 | -                                     |
| KARNATAKA        |               35 |                 35 | 1                                     |
| MADHYA PRADESH   |               46 |                 46 | 5                                     |
| MAHARASHTRA      |                8 |                  7 | 1                                     |
| MEGHALAYA        |                8 |                  1 | -                                     |
| ODISHA           |               20 |                 20 | -                                     |
| RAJASTHAN        |               23 |                 22 | 1                                     |
| TAMIL NADU       |               29 |                 29 | 10                                    |
| TELANGANA        |                6 |                  6 | -                                     |
| Total            |              296 |                287 | 47                                    |

## Annexure- II

## State-wise detail of  triggers for mining leases of major minerals is as under (as on 03.07.2019)

| State            |   Total Triggers | Total Inspection   | Un-authorized mining cases detected   |
|------------------|------------------|--------------------|---------------------------------------|
| ANDHRA PRADESH   |                8 | 8                  | 1                                     |
| CHHATTISGARH     |                4 | 3                  | -                                     |
| GUJARAT          |                7 | 7                  | 1                                     |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH |                2 | -                  | -                                     |
| JAMMU & KASHMIR  |                2 | 2                  | -                                     |
| JHARKHAND        |                1 | -                  | -                                     |
| KARNATAKA        |                4 | 4                  | -                                     |
| MADHYA PRADESH   |                4 | 4                  | -                                     |
| MAHARASHTRA      |                3 | 3                  | 1                                     |
| ODISHA           |                2 | 2                  | -                                     |
| RAJASTHAN        |                8 | 8                  | -                                     |
| TAMIL NADU       |                7 | 4                  | 1                                     |
| Total            |               52 | 45                 | 4                                     |

Annexure- III

State-wise details of triggers for mining leases of minor minerals is as under (on 03.07.2019)

| State          |   Total Triggers | Total Inspection   | Un-authorized mining cases detected   |
|----------------|------------------|--------------------|---------------------------------------|
| ANDHRA PRADESH |                8 | 8                  | -                                     |
| CHHATTISGARH   |                4 | -                  | -                                     |
| GOA            |                3 | 3                  | -                                     |
| GUJARAT        |               27 | 27                 | 4                                     |
| HARYANA        |                4 | 2                  | -                                     |
| JHARKHAND      |               11 | 4                  | -                                     |
| KARNATAKA      |               12 | 12                 | -                                     |
| KERALA         |                5 | 3                  | 3                                     |
| MAHARASHTRA    |                2 | -                  | -                                     |
| RAJASTHAN      |               37 | 34                 | 1                                     |
| TAMIL NADU     |               10 | 8                  | 1                                     |
| TELANGANA      |                3 | 3                  | -                                     |
| UTTAR PRADESH  |                4 | -                  | -                                     |
| Total          |              130 | 104                | 9                                     |