The Union Ministry of Coal has approved the Khaning Prahari mobile app to monitor incidents of illegal coal mining.
A mobile app allowing citizens to report incidents of illegal coal mining by geo-tagged photographs and basic information – Khani Prahari is a significant step taken by the Ministry towards curbing illegal coal mining activities.
- The related web portal named Coal Mine Monitoring and Management System (CMSMS) has been developed in collaboration with Bhaskaracharya Institute of Space Application and Geoinformatics, Gandhinagar and CMPDI, Ranchi.
- Illegal coal mining poses a threat to the environment and the lives of the people involved and to the traditional subsistence base and a general decline in the country's economy.
- Government aims to take transparent action against illegal mining by using space technology as an e-governance initiative.
- The government recognizes the importance of public participation in combating this menace. Khaning Prahari Mobile App serves as a powerful tool for citizens to contribute in the fight against illegal coal mining.
- The objective of Khana Prahari Mobile App and CMSMS web portal is to encourage public participation through reporting about illegal coal mining.
Key features of the Mining Sentinel mobile app include:
- Reporting of incidents: This app allows geotagging of photographs by enabling the GPS location feature.
- Privacy: The identity of the user is kept confidential while ensuring privacy and security.
- Complaint Tracking: Complainants receive a complaint number, which they can use to track the status of their reported complaints on the Khaning Prahari Mobile App.