India: ‘Khanan Prahari’ mobile app to curb illegal mining

The Government of India has launched one mobile app namely “KhananPrahari” and one web app Coal Mine Surveillance and Management System (CMSMS) for reporting unauthorized coal mining activities so that monitoring and taking suitable action on it can be done by concerned Law & Order enforcing authority. 

The CMSMS has been developed to curb illegal mining and take transparent action as an e-Governance initiative of GoI on use of Space Technology.

The objective of development and launching of this CMSMS application was to detect citizens’ participation against illegal mining by receipt of citizen’s complaints through mobile app – KhananPrahari and to monitor and take action on any kind of illegal coal mining activity being carried out within the leasehold boundaries of any Coal Mining Project in the Coalfield Areas.

It is a Mobile App of Ministry of Coal for Reporting Illegal Coal Mining and a tool for reporting any illegal coal mining incident through geo-tagged photographs as well as textual information by any citizen from the place of incidence.

The State wise details of number of cases reported till January 2023 is enclosed as Annexure.

The following measures are taken to reduce illegal coal mining operations in the country:-

• Concrete walls have been erected on the mouth of the abandoned mines to prevent access and illegal activities in these areas.
• Surprise raids/checks being conducted jointly by security personnel and law and order authorities of the concerned State Government.
• Dumping of the overburden is being done on the outcrop zones.
• Installation of check-posts at vulnerable points.

• Training of existing security/CISF personnel, refresher training and basic training of new recruits in security discipline for strengthening the security setup;
• Maintaining close liaison with the State authorities.
• Committee/task force has been constituted at different level (block level, sub-divisional level, district level, state level) in some subsidiaries of CIL to monitor different aspects of illegal mining.

This information was given by Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Annexure