Centre, states working out steps to check illegal sand mining

The Centre today said it is working out steps in coordination with states to expand the scope of mining surveillance system (MSS) to check illegal mining of sand and other minor minerals.
The move will also help lower the cost of sand as well as construction of affordable housing, it said.
"We are talking to states to save the minor minerals, many of which are prone to irregularities, particularly sand mining," Mines Minister Piyush Goyal said.
"They are also brought under the MSS so that we can try and bring down the cost of sand and cost of construction of affordable houses and infrastructure projects," he added.

The ministry, through Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), has developed MSS in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Bhaskaracharya Institute of Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG) to use the space technology to check illegal mining.
Goyal was speaking to reporters on the sidelines after inaugurating Multi-sensor Aero-geophysical Survey over Obvious Geological Potential (OGP) and adjoining areas of the country.

He said his ministry is also looking at engaging with states to ensure that MSS is used effectively and the illegal mining can be curbed quickly.
"We have been giving out the triggers from the MSS system to different states for action and we are aggressively following up that action be taken," the minister said.

The mines ministry in the current fiscal, he said, will focus on completing the auction all the mineral blocks where the exploration work is over and is also looking at faster roll out of aero geophysical mapping.
"I was discussing with colleagues I have also asked them to explore that if we could do the entire process (acquiring uniform data over OGP and adjoining areas covering 8.13 lakh sq km with 27 lakh line km) in one year instead of three years," the minister said.
"At the same time we will be starting the process of further exploration to develop the final data which can help us prepare data of the mines for bidding out," he said.

The government, he said, will also make efforts to rapidly expand the exploration programme so that the final mining activities can also be start at the earliest.