The top territorial authorities in the Casablanca-Settat region have authorized the use of drones to conduct aerial surveys of several key road axes and interchanges between central Casablanca, Nouaceur, Berrechid, Tit Mellil, Rabat, and other areas.
This initiative aims to detect the expansion of illegal quarries extracting construction materials such as “Bayada” and “Toufna” near ongoing road projects in preparation for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
According to informed sources, this operation was carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Equipment and Water. The aerial imagery obtained has been used to guide monitoring teams in identifying violations related to unauthorized quarry exploitation.
As a result, authorities have issued official reports against offenders and are preparing to refer their cases to the relevant public prosecution.
This initiative was preceded by an unannounced inspection by Casablanca-Settat’s regional governor, Mohamed Mhidia, who visited ongoing road repair and expansion works, particularly those linking Berrechid to Tit Mellil and Berrechid to Casablanca, accompanied by governors from Nouaceur, Berrechid, and Mediouna.
The aerial survey revealed the existence of quarries operating without official permits within the jurisdiction of several municipalities. Comparisons with official records from the Ministry of Equipment and Water confirmed that no authorizations had been issued for these sites.
The findings indicate that some companies have been extracting “Toufna” continuously to supply construction projects before abandoning these quarries without implementing necessary environmental safety measures.
Consequently, some of these abandoned sites have turned into hazardous muddy ponds following recent rainfall, posing risks to nearby residents.
Moroccan law 27.13, which governs quarry operations, mandates that companies adhere to specific regulatory requirements, including compliance with licensing agreements, payment of associated taxes and fees, and adherence to strict extraction and transportation limits. It also allows infrastructure contractors to obtain temporary permits to use quarry materials for public works projects.
Sources indicate that the aerial data identified both active and abandoned quarries, some of which had only pending permit applications.
A detailed review of administrative records revealed that some companies exploited extracted “Toufna” while deliberately slowing down the licensing process to continue operations until their projects were completed, thereby bypassing official approval.
The investigation has successfully identified violating companies and documented their breaches through images and video footage, capturing large-scale excavation activities at illegal quarries operated by firms involved in road infrastructure projects.
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