In what could come as a major relief to the construction industry in the city, the government is said to have agreed on allowing builders’ representative bodies to desilt river sand from four districts.
According to the president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) State chapter, C.Sekhar Reddy, the confederation being a bulk consumer would be permitted to collect this sand through the irrigation department.
“The department has been lifting sand and at a recent meeting, it has been agreed to permit us also,” he said. With 16 chapters in the State, the confederation represents more than 1,500 builders and developers.
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After sand supplies ran into issues, the construction activity has been hit badly in the city where the daily requirement has been put anywhere up to 2,500 loads. The prices escalated sharply following scarcity and to take care of ongoing construction works, developers in some instances were forced to pay three times the original cost of Rs.650 to Rs.700 per load.
Mr. Reddy said that since it has been agreed on principle to allow them to acquire sand, the confederation will be approaching the irrigation department to work out the next course of action. “We are looking at forming a trust or a similar unit and taking it up to ensure sand at cost-to-cost basis,” he said.
The sand has to be collected from sources at Mahbubnagar, Kurnool, Karimnagar and Anantapur, shifted to a yard that would be set up by the confederation and then make it available to its member-developers.
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