Punjab makes use of GPS monitoring and barcode scanners to confirm unlawful mining: report | Chandigarh News

Chandigarh: To check on illegal mining in Punjab, the state government plans to install 24×7 surveillance cameras, introduce transport permits, a GPS tracking system with barcode scanners and an entry and exit point for trucks from the mining sites, in addition to drone surveillance .
According to the status report submitted to the center by the Punjab Government’s Directorate of Environment and Climate Change on the implementation of the “Enforcement and Monitoring Policies for Sand Quarrying”, CCTV cameras will be installed at district level, providing 360-degree visibility Task forces have been formed and demarcation of boundaries at mining sites has been carried out by the mining companies.

In addition to oversight by a five-member NGT board, the task of overseeing the terms of the Environmental Impact Certificate has also been delegated to the Punjab Pollution Control Board’s regional offices.
The recommendations include the use of digital technologies, such as remote sensing data, to scientifically determine the extent of legal and illegal sand mining in and around the state’s operating sand mining sites.
Earlier, the inspection committee set up by the state following an NGT order last year discussed the need for remote sensing data or an advanced version of Google Earth software to help assess the scale of mining being conducted at specific sites. At a meeting of the panel last year, it was decided to approach the Punjab Remote Sensing Center (PRSC), Ludhiana, to offer assistance in exploring the possibility of assessing the extent of mining at the mining sites based on remote sensing maps to calculate .
According to the status report, the “future plans” include asking the Mining Authority to develop a model mining site by adopting the steps outlined as part of the Illegal Mining Control Policies. In addition, the process for obtaining environmental clearance for mining cases would be simplified and district-level task forces would be assigned measurable objectives for inspecting mining sites.
The report was submitted by the Government of Punjab to the Impact Assessment Division of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change. In order to set up a monitoring mechanism, the state government had decided to form a District Level Task Force (DLTF) headed by the Deputy Commissioner, with police inspectors and other officers such as the District Forestry Officer and District Traffic Officer as members.

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