Apartment builders are caught in the muddle over the government’s indecision on the sand mining issue. According to P. Anand Kumar, president of the Visakha Apartment Builders Association (VABA), due to the ban on sand mining, there has been no supply of sand and all construction activity in the city and on the outskirts has stopped for a month now.
The VABA president said that the members had met District Collector N. Yuvaraj on Saturday, and he assured them that he would address the issue in the coming four to five days.
Daily wage workers hitADVERTISEMENT
Vice-president of the association K.S. Krishna said: “About one lakh people are engaged as daily wage workers in the apartment construction sector and they have no work now. We have emphasised this issue to the District Collector,” he said.
Basing on a Supreme Court directive that sand mining cannot take place without clearance from the environment board, the government has banned mining. “Environment clearance is good, but there are sites such as Konam and Pedderu reservoir, which already have environment clearance. The government can allow mining at such places. Moreover, since there is total ban on private mining, even the DWCRA groups that have been given the rights need the clearance,” said Mr. Krishna.
Another issue that is coming between the government and the construction industry is the setting up of the Environment Clearance Board (ECB). “Post bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh has no ECB. This has become a major hindrance to getting the clearance. The government’s ambitious plan of allotting mining rights to DWCRA group will take time, but something has to be done on a war-footing to save the industry,’ said Mr. Anand.
ADVERTISEMENT