<h1>AI-driven drone surveys for mine reclamation and green cover tracking improve plantation survival and closure planning accuracy</h1> Eastern Coalfields Ltd has introduced AI-driven UAV surveying to assess green cover and scientific land reclamation at its Sonepur-Bazari mining area, using orthomosaic mapping, GIS/GPS spatial validation, vegetation health analysis, ecological surveys, and geospatial analytics conducted with CSIR-CIMFR. This establishes a data-driven monitoring method to quantify plantation survival, canopy development, species composition, spatial distribution, and overall reclamation outcomes, with the operative effect of improving accuracy, scalability, and consistency of environmental monitoring for mine-closure planning and long-term ecological management.