The Coimbatore district administration on Tuesday commissioned a control room at the District Collectorate to enable round-the-clock monitoring of transport of gravel and minerals.
District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar inaugurated the control room, which is linked to 132 cameras installed at key locations to track the movement of trucks that transported minerals. The system has been established by the Department of Geology and Mining to strengthen oversight and curb unauthorised quarrying and transportation activities.
According to a release, the surveillance network comprises 108 Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras and 24 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. The project has been implemented at a cost of ₹1.83 crore, in accordance with directions issued by the Madras High Court, relating to unauthorised mineral extraction in Perur.
In addition to the control room at the Collectorate, monitoring facilities have been set up at the offices of the Revenue Divisional Officers of Coimbatore South and Coimbatore North, the Sub-Collector’s office in Pollachi, and the offices of the Deputy Superintendents of Police at Perur and Periyanaickenpalayam. Work is under way to establish a similar facility at the District Superintendent of Police’s office.
To facilitate public participation, a toll-free helpline number — 1800-233-3995 — has been activated for reporting complaints related to unauthorised quarrying and transport of gravel and minerals. A mobile application titled Kovai Mining Surveillance and a dedicated website have also been launched and brought into operation from Monday, enabling complaints to be registered digitally.
Published – February 04, 2026 07:56 pm IST
