Guwahati: The Justice Katakey committee has expressed disappointment over the Meghalaya police’s failure to effectively utilise drones in monitoring illegal coal mining activities in the state.
In its 27th interim report, the committee described the situation as a “very sorry state of affairs.”
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The state government had invested Rs 45.27 lakh in setting up two Drone Control Rooms, funded through the Meghalaya Environmental and Protection Restoration Fund (MEPRF).
However, the committee found that the police department had not made adequate use of the equipment, defeating the purpose of setting up the control rooms.
Despite identifying East Jaintia Hills, West Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills, and South Garo Hills as major coal-producing districts with significant illegal mining activities, the police conducted only six sorties in these areas over the past 10 months.
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Moreover, no drone surveillance was carried out in areas under the Gasuapara Police Station in South Garo Hills, where large quantities of coal were seized.
The committee has recommended that the police conduct proper drone surveillance in all districts, identify areas with illegal mining activities within a week, and constitute a dedicated team to conduct surveillance.
The police are also required to maintain video footage for six months and submit weekly reports on surveillance activities.
To ensure regular patrolling, the Officer-in-Charge of all police stations must submit fortnightly reports to the Superintendents of Police, who will then compile and send the reports to the Police headquarters and the Mining and Geology Department.