Mines Surveillance System

• 20 Jun 2024

Why in News?

Recently, The Uttarakhand government approved a Rs 93-crore proposal for the installation of Mining Digital Transformation and Surveillance System (MDTSS), across the state to curb illegal mining.

Key Points

• The systems will be installed at 40 check gates across Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, and Udham Singh Nagar.
• The new system equipped with bullet cameras, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) radars, and Light Emitting Diodes (LED) floodlights will not only help monitor illegal mining activities but also boost the state government's revenue.
• A Mining State Control Centre (MSCC) will be set up in Dehradun, along with mini command centres at district headquarters in Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, and Udham Singh Nagar.

Illegal Mining

• About:
  • Illegal mining is the extraction of minerals, ores, or other valuable resources from land or water bodies without the necessary permits, licenses, or regulatory approvals from government authorities.
  • It can also involve the violation of environmental, labor, and safety standards.
• Issues:
  • Environmental Degradation:
    • It can lead to deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution and can result in the destruction of habitats for wildlife, which can have serious ecological consequences.
  • Hazards:
    • Illegal mining often involves the use of hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide, which can pose serious health risks to miners and nearby communities.
  • Loss of Revenue:
    • It can lead to a loss of revenue for governments as miners may not pay appropriate taxes and royalties.
    • This can have significant economic impacts, particularly in countries where natural resources are a major source of revenue.
  • Human Rights Violations:
    • Illegal mining can also result in human rights violations, including forced labor, child labor, and exploitation of vulnerable populations.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) radars

• RFID is a type of passive wireless technology that allows for tracking or matching of an item or individual.
• The system has two basic parts: Tags and Readers.
  • The reader gives off radio waves and gets signals back from the RFID tag, while the tag uses radio waves to communicate its identity and other information.
  • A tag can be read from up to several feet away and does not need to be within the direct line-of-sight of the reader to be tracked.
• The technology has been approved since before the 1970s but has become much more prevalent in recent years due to its usages in things like global supply chain management and pet microchipping.