Jaipur: Mandatory drone surveys of mines across Rajasthan, launched to curb illegal mining and boost state revenue, have been delayed despite an extended deadline, officials said.The mining and geology department had directed mine owners to conduct annual drone surveys within a 100-metre perimeter of their leased areas. After drone flight restrictions in June 2025, the deadline was extended to March 31, 2026, from Dec 31, 2025.A senior mining official said, “Mine owners across the state have largely failed to submit their survey reports. There are many districts including Bikaner, where not a single survey has been carried out and survey has not been done. The department has warned that non-compliance will attract action under its established guidelines. But, still there was no compliance. Previously, the deadline had been Dec 31, 2025, but it was later extended to allow mine owners more time to complete the surveys.“The department said the surveys helped detect illegal mining near leased areas and aided penalty collection. A mining official said, “Private firms have been employed to carry out the surveys, but several leaseholders allege that the process is flawed. They argue that survey reports often treat the entire mine pit as mineral, ignoring overburden, waste, soil, and other non-mineral material, leading to penalties running into crores of rupees. Many leaseholders also claim that they were not informed prior to the surveys, raising questions about transparency.”Experts said the surveys were legally valid but should be transparent and include departmental geologists who could account for waste material. “Many penalties, ranging from Rs 10 crore to Rs 50 crore, have been levied even when the actual mineral extracted or present is far less than calculated,” said an expert.Officials said surveys were notified in advance and penalties were imposed under mining laws that allow fines of up to ten times the royalty for illegal extraction. Disputes over the accuracy of drone surveys have continued, with several cases reaching the courts. “The Rajasthan high court, on Jan 23, 2025, had declared some show-cause notices issued based on drone surveys invalid,” said a leaseholder.
