Sand shortage hits Mysore construction industry

September 19, 2014 06:15 pm | Updated 06:15 pm IST - MYSORE:

A severe shortage of sand has hit the construction industry in Mysore. The shortage may affect ongoing projects at various stages of completion and, if left unaddressed, could escalate costs that will be passed on to end-users.

Contractors in the city, drawn mainly from the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) Contractors Association and PWD Department Contractors Association, have attributed the present scarcity to the government’s sand policy that has placed restrictions on sand extraction as a result of which demand has exceeded supply.

The other stakeholders including members of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) and Builders Association of India (BAI) also drew attention to the escalating cost of sand as a result of which a truck load costs Rs. 24,000 as against Rs. 6,000 four years ago.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Mr.Ajith Narayan, President of CREDAI, Mysore chapter, and N. Subramanya, Vice President, BAI, Mysore said even on payment of Rs.24,000 the supply was delayed and hence this had affected various ongoing projects in the city.

Construction of both private and public buildings, road laying, ongoing works on bridges, culverts have been stopped due to non-availability of sand in Mysore and if the government fails to modify the sand policy by removing certain restrictions in order to ensure availability of sand in abundant quality, a time may come when all construction work will halt in the district, said the representatives from the construction industry.

A direct fallout of sand shortage was the sale of substandard sand to customers who have using the same for construction work oblivious of the dangers and serious consequences of using the material, according to Mr.Narayan.

He said that over 40 per cent of work had come to a standstill owing to non-availability of sand and pointed out that lakhs of construction workers have been rendered jobless owing to stoppage of works for want of sand. Non-availability of sand in required quantity had a serious impact on people, labourers and also contractors, according to CREDAI and BAI who wanted the government to find a suitable remedy to redress the issue. eom

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