Former Minster Pritiranjan  appeal to  Chief Minister seeks drone-based survey and monitoring systems to curb theft of minor minerals in Jajpur

 Akshya Rout,Odishabarta

Jajpur: Senior BJD leader and former Minister Pritiranjan Gharai on Monday wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and sought for a regular drone-based monitoring of minor mineral operations in the district. Highlighting the rising instances of illegal extraction and theft of minor minerals- such as river sand, black stone, gravel, laterite stone, morrum, and brick earth in Jajpur district, Gharai stated, “These unauthorised activities are resulting in serious environmental degradation, substantial loss of government revenue, disturbance to local ecosystems, and damage to public infrastructure, particularly roads. Additionally, local residents are facing frequent accidents and traffic disruptions on these roads.” “Despite the existing regulatory framework and enforcement mechanisms, such activities continue to persist, primarily due to the absence of real-time monitoring and inadequate surveillance in remote, riverine, and hillock areas,”

The letter quoted Gharai. “In this context, I humbly propose the adoption of drone-based survey and monitoring systems to effectively address illegal mining activities in the minor mineral sector in Jajpur district,” the letter stated. Gharai noted that the deployment of drone technology would facilitate real-time aerial surveillance and DGPS surveys of vulnerable mining zones, precise mapping of boundaries, identification of unauthorized excavation sites, and assessment of excess or illegal mining, periodic monitoring to track changes in land, river, and hillock morphology and collection of credible evidence to support enforcement actions and legal proceedings. Gharai said, “I request you to kindly issue necessary directions to the concerned departments- such as Mining, Revenue, and Forest, to deploy drones for regular inspections, particularly in high-risk areas. It is also proposed to establish a centralized monitoring system at the district or state level for analysis of drone-generated data, thereby strengthening enforcement and enabling prompt action,” it stated. “I sincerely hope for your kind intervention and early action to address these issues, with a view to safeguarding natural resources for future generations and enhancing government revenue in the larger public interest,” urged Gharai.