Premier consultancy firm in coal mining, CMPDI after formal approval of Civil Aviation Directorate, Home Ministry and Defense Ministry has gone ahead using unmanned aerial vehicles in CCl coal mines at Rajrappa and Topa. The surveillance and survey are being used to check any illegal mining taking place besides, reclamation of exhausted mines.
Though the firm is doing monitoring of mines through satellite surveillance since 2008-09 in all open caste mines, UAV based monitoring with high resolution and demand driven data is set to open a new chapter in the field for mines safety and operation.
A press communiqué said that DGCA has prepared the memorandum for operating the UAV which is awaiting approval from the Government. “Once it is done the drones can be used in all CIl mines for widespread mapping and monitoring purposes that would ensure better and effective resource management,” says CMPDI.