(Representative image)Nagpur had used two drones to monitor sand mining locations earlier this year, and nabbed violators as well as recovered penalty of Rs 1.52 crore for illegal mining from them.
State chief secretary Swadeen Kshatriya, who reviewed this model, has directed all collectors to take it up as it would not only help maintain checks but also bring in more revenue to the state.
Sand mining generates the maximum revenue in the state and this year’s target is over Rs 1,200 crore.
“The Nagpur model used two drones deployed from a local company to check the ghats. The drones could show photos and numbers of vehicles, and the administration could also see the faces of violators and initiate action against them. Recordings from the drones were used as evidence for the administration to cancel the contracts of these ghats,” Kshatriya told TOI.
With officials in the sand mining sector facing threats and even being attacked, especially during night vigils, unmanned aerial vehicles deployed randomly was seen as a successful and useful medium of monitoring.
Nagpur collector Sachin Kurve told TOI that they have been continuously using the services of drones in the last few months.
“Once we get information, the drones are deployed at night. They are placed at a height of 500m-800m and they can monitor a radius of over 5km. This surveillance has been extremely effective. We were able to keep a check and cancel the contracts of over nine sites,” he said. The drone mechanism seems feasible and easy to implement and the evidence can be enough proof, a senior revenue official from the state government said.
Pune collector Saurabh Rao said they already have several mechanisms in place to keep a check on the ghats, including CCTV coverage and live feeds as well as smart card machines for all operators. However, the drone technology will be a welcome move, he said.
The district had a target of Rs 175 crore from the mining sector, which has been increased to Rs 190 crore. “We have met 72% of the collection, and should eventually meet the target,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Comptroller Auditor General’s audit had noted that there was extensive extraction of minerals without mining leases, and the department was unable to prevent this.
The state had listed black marketing of essential commodities along with illegal excavation of sand under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act earlier this year, which aimed to crack down on repeat offenders.