Lok Sabha Question No. 1194 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-09
Subject: Illegal Mining
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Balak Nath, Sumedhanand Saraswati, Ranjeeta Koli

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1194 ANSWERED ON 09.02.2022

## ILLEGAL MINING

- †1194. SHRI BALAK NATH:

SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI:

SHRIMATI RANJEETA KOLI:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is able to detect illegal mining activities in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the steps taken to check such activities;
- (d)  the  manner  in  which  the  Government  proposes  to  use  space  technology  in  this regard; and
- (e) the achievements made in this regard particularly in Sikar, Bharatpur and Alwar of Rajasthan?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (c): Government has, inter-alia, taken the following measures for checking illegal mining in the country:
- (i)  Penalty  for  illegal  mining  was  made  more  stringent  by  the  Central  Government through amendment of the MMDR Act. The penalties have been increased from Rs. 25 thousand  per  hectares  to  Rs.  5  Lakh  per  hectare  and  the  term  of  imprisonment  has been increased from 2 years to 5 years for contravention of Section 4(1) and 4(1A) of the Act.
- (ii) Section 30B of the Act provides for constitution of Special courts and 30C of the Act provides that such Special Courts shall be deemed to be a Court of Session.
- (iii) Rule 45 of the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, (MCDR) 2017 makes it  mandatory  for  all  miners,  traders,  stockist,  exporters  and  end-users  of  minerals  to register  and  report  on  the  production,  trade  and  utilization  of  minerals  to  the  State Government(s) and Indian Bureau of Mines.

Further, Section 23C of the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR  Act)  empowers  the  State  Governments  to  frame  rules  for  preventing  illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals (both major and minor minerals) and for purposes connected therewith. Hence, prevention and control of illegal mining comes under  the  legislative  and  administrative  jurisdiction  of  State  Governments.  Pursuant thereof :

(i) 21 State Governments have framed rules under section 23C of MMDR Act, 1957 to curb illegal mining.

(ii)  22  States  have  set  up Task  Forces to control illegal mining and review the action taken  by  member  departments  for  checking  the  illegal  mining  activities  at  State  and district levels.

(d):  Ministry  of  Mines,  through  Indian  Bureau  of  Mines,  has  developed  a  Mining Surveillance System (MSS), in collaboration with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology  (MeitY)  and  Bhaskaracharya  Institute  for  Space  Applications  and  Geoinformatics  (BISAG),  Gandhinagar  to  use  space  technology  for  detecting  probable illegal mining activities around lease hold areas. This satellite-based monitoring system viz.  Mining  Surveillance  System  (MSS)  aims  to  check  illegal  mining  activity  through automatic  remote-sensing  detection  technology  in  order  to  establish  a  regime  of responsive mineral administration. The system records activity upto 500 metre outside the lease boundary and generates trigger for action on part of the State Government to investigate encroachment and take necessary action. MSS has been made functional throughout the country.

A user-friendly mobile app for MSS has also been launched for use of general public for raising complaint of illegal mining activities. Once a complaint is received, it is forwarded to the respective State Government for taking appropriate action in the matter.

(e):   As  per  information  made  available  by  State  Government  of  Rajasthan,  drone technology is used on requirement basis by the Department to check illegal mining/transportation in the State. Action is taken by the concerned officer at the trigger point of illegal mining within 500 meters radius of the mining leases for both major and minor  minerals  detected  through  the  satellite  imaging  technology  based  on  Mining Surveillance System (MSS).

As  per  the  information  received  from  the  State  Government  of  Rajasthan,  Forest Survey of India has sent 202 and 225 Illegal Mining Polygons (IMP) detected by using the  satellite/  space  technology  respectively  in  District  Sikar  and  Alwar  to  the  State Government. IMP(s) received with regard to District Sikar were physically inspected and illegal  mining  was not detected in 186 out of 202 cases. However, illegal mining was detected  in  16  out  of  202  cases  and  action  was  taken  in  this  matter  by  the  State Government by imposing a fine of Rs. 39,18,59,099 out of which 1,07,65,782 has been collected so far. Further, 142 out of 225 IMP(s) detected in District Alwar fall under the forest land in which action is taken by the State Forest Department. Rest 83 out of 225 cases  were  related  to  non-forest  land  in  which  physical  inspection  is  done  and necessary  action  is  taken  by  the  concerned  State  Department.  Further,  State  of Rajasthan has informed that in District Bharatpur, no action has been taken with regard to illegal mining detected with the help of Space Technology.

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