Karnataka earns Rs 7 lakh daily in fines on illegal mining

BENGALURU: Illegal mining in the state refuses to die down, although that of iron ore has reduced considerably. In the past four-and-a-half years, the government has earned Rs 7 lakh a day in the form of fines levied on those caught violating mining laws.

Reports submitted by the state to the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) show authorities seized an average of seven trucks a day in districts including Ballari, Chitradurga and Mysuru. A total of 11,497 trucks were seized in 1,643 days between April 1, 2013 and September 30, 2017.

The government earned Rs 112 crore in fines from those contravening section 23C of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Act, 1957, which deals with illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals. In the four-and-a-half year period, it filed 1,798 FIRs — an average of one every day, while 468 cases were registered in various courts.

A majority of the cases relate to smuggling of minor minerals, sources in the mines and geology department revealed, and nearly 70% relate to sand, an official said. “Illegal iron ore mining has reduced considerably, and even though vehicles are seized, the scale at which the mafia operated at its peak was way higher.”

Illegal mining of iron ore in the state, which made international headlines, may be on the wane, but it still thrives in pockets. In December, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached bank deposits worth Rs 5.3 crore belonging to K Somasekhar, director, M/S ILC Industries Ltd, under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. “Somasekhar was involved in illegal mining,” the ED said. The CBI filed five chargesheets after investigation.

Isro to monitor activites

The Centre has signed an MoU with Isro’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under which it will use high-resolution satellite imagery and a digital elevation model to monitor mining activities. The pilot project is on in Ballari-Hospet area.