Govt’s Latest Weapon: Drones to Check Illegal Mining, Child Labour

India's mines ministry has told state governments to explore the use of drones to check illegal mining, as officials crackdown on an activity that has led to deforestation and the use of child labour.

A satellite-based mining surveillance system was launched last month, and the ministry is now exploring the use of unmanned drones, to keep a check on instances of illegal mining activities, a notification from the ministry dated 1 November stated.

Drones can be used to monitor activities at night and to track truck movements, said Prithul Kumar, a director at the ministry of mines, in the notification.

They can also calculate the extent of the green cover, the notification said.

Drones are increasingly being used around the world to check illegal activities and to survey damage to the environment. In Panama, indigenous people are using drones to monitor deforestation on their lands.

In India, Uttarakhand began using drones recently to check illegal quarrying, while western Maharashtra has recently deployed drones to check illegal sand mining.

Illegal mines in the country often hire child workers and migrant workers who are poorly paid and have few protections, activists say.

But drones alone won't stop illegal mining or prevent worker abuses, said Rana Sengupta, chief executive of the non-profit Mine Labour Protection Campaign, in Rajasthan state.

Drones can show you the extent of the problem, but if the intent is to check illegal mining, you need to involve the villages and local communities in the area. We already have the capability to use satellite images to see where illegal mining is taking place. Villagers can be your eyes and ears far more effectively in preventing the activity than drones.

Rana Sengupta

Research has shown securing rights for indigenous communities and forest dwellers help protect resources and conserve the environment.

(With inputs from Reuters)