Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Tamil Nadu government to use drones across the State to assess the quantum of minerals extracted and the areas under mining operations.
"The respondents are directed to conduct drone measurements hereinafter in all mining operations across the State of Tamil Nadu for purpose of assessing the mining operations and the minerals mined by the operators and determine the royalty to be collected and recover the same accordingly," Justice S M Subramanian said.
The judge gave the direction while disposing of a batch of writ petitions from the Associated Cement Companies Limited in Madukkarai village in Coimbatore challenging an order issued in March 2002 by the Director of Geology and Mining at Guindy here. The order directed the petitioner-companies to pay the royalty as was demanded in the impugned notices.
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The judge also directed the authorities to conduct 'drone measurements' operations wherever the mining operations are conducted by the writ petitioners and accordingly, assess the quantum of minerals/limestone removed by them. They shall collect the registers/records, said to be lost in the interregnum period of about 20 years, from the petitioner-companies and ascertain the consumption factors based on the quantum of cement products produced. The drone measurements taken as well as the 'consumption' factors as the case may be to be considered for the purpose of arriving a fair decision and accordingly, determine the royalty to be paid by the writ petitioner-companies during the pendency of the writ petitions, and issue appropriate orders and recover the shortfall in payment of royalty, the judge said.
Also, the judge directed the authorities to file an action taken report and compliance report of the orders of the court after four months. The matter shall be posted on June 1, the judge added.
PTI
