MADURAI: Permits of nearly 45,000 vehicles involved in mining and transportation of minerals across the state may be cancelled if Automotive Industry Standard 140 (AIS-140) GPS devices are not installed in these vehicles before March 31, an official said.
“Nearly 90,000 vehicles in Tamil Nadu are now being operated with old GPS devices, and 50% have already been fitted with the new devices. The rest will have to upgrade in the next 15 days. If the quarry owners fail to do that, the transport department will cancel their permits,” a transport department official said. “The mandatory upgradation of GPS was announced three months ago,” he added.
Speaking to TNIE, Shunchonngam Jatak Chiru, Principal Secretary of Transport Department and Additional Chief Secretary of Natural Resources Department, said the direction was issued by the Tamil Nadu government three months ago and the Madras High Court had upheld it in its order dated December 17, 2025. “Once the device is installed, officials will integrate it with the department’s Mineral Management System (MiMAS),” he said.
A senior official of the Geology and Mining department said the government has made GPS equipment mandatory for all vehicles used by quarries, crushers and stocking yards from July 31, 2025. “GPS helps ensure minerals are transported only from approved quarries to permitted destinations.
Vehicles can be checked if they deviate from the approved transport route. It creates a digital record in MiMAS. Officials can track the number of trips made by each vehicle. It will help prevent illegal mining and transportation of minerals and better enforcement of law. It is also helpful for the vehicle owners and authorities to track vehicles in case of accidents or complaints,” he added.
A HC bench of Justices S M Subramaniam and C Kumarappan, in a ruling on December 17, 2025 on a writ petition filed by P Natesan, observed that illegal sand mining in TN has been functioning like an organised mafia.
Although 1,439 instances of illegal mining were detected between 2020 and November 2025, only 135 criminal cases had been registered, the bench said. The court held that district collectors are responsible and accountable for preventing illegal mining in their districts.