KOLKATA (miningweekly.com) – India’s federal government announced it would involve logistical service providers, including ports and railways, along with provincial governments, in the monitoring of illegal mining activity across the country.

Each of the provinces had been directed to set up Coordination and Empowered Committees comprising representatives from Indian Railways, Ports, Customs Department and local level officials to initiate specific measures to check illegal mining.

A Mines Ministry official said that each of these provincial-level committees would work in consultation with the federal government.

Citing examples, he said that the Shipping Ministry had directed ports to ensure the verification of all outward shipments of iron-ore and ensure payment of all royalties for the consignments, barring which port authorities would not permit loading. The onus would be on the port authority representatives serving on the coordination and empowered committee, to ensure that port management adhered to the verification procedures.

Similarly, the Railway Ministry had been issued guidelines to only transport iron-ore or other exportable minerals against permits, verifying that each rake and cross had been checked. Railway yards and sidings would also have to be fenced off to prevent any pilferage of iron-ore during transportation.

To date, only 13 provinces had set up the mandated coordination and empowered committees. However, not all 29 provinces would have to establish these committee as several were not mineral-bearing provinces.

The M B Shah Commission, which the Indian Supreme Court appointed to investigate illegal mining, had estimated illegal mining activity of about $5.56-billion in the western coastal province of Goa during the period 2008 to 2011. In the eastern province of Odisha, illegal mining was pegged at $9.53-billion. In the southern province of Karnataka, the commission reported illegal mining of about $3.68-billion during the period.