Harare: The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) is considering the use of drones to “effectively” monitor diamond mining activities in Marange, local media reports.

NewsDay quoted acing ZCDC chief executive Ridge Nyashanu as saying the monitoring would help avoid leakages. “Plans are also underway to introduce the use of drones to monitor all mining zones because they are big,” he said.

“We are also going to integrate First Element and Kenako surveillance systems to ZCDC systems to allow remote access monitoring.”

ZCDC was currently mining on two concessions formerly worked by Diamond Mining Company and Marange Resources, according to NewsDay. Sites formerly owned by Mbada, Anjin and Jinan were yet to be occupied due to a pending lawsuit. ZCDC produced 953 818 carats last year compared with 2,3 million carats, a year earlier.

The projection for diamond production in Chiadzwa was then reviewed in June 2016 to 1,3 million carats. When ZCDC was formed, the initial projection was that it would produce 6,9 million carats annually.