Civic infrastructure development projects have come to a standstill in the city owing to scarcity of sand for construction work.
Chennai Corporation contractors have stopped work along more than 500 roads in Valasaravakkam, Alandur and Ambattur zones owing to sand shortage.
“The sand price has increased three times. The contractors are unable to procure the sand at such a high price. Work has stopped in areas covering all the 35 packages of the World Bank-funded project for development of stormwater drains,” said an official.
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The Chennai Corporation issued work order for the development of stormwater in 2015. During the commencement of the work, corporation officials claimed that the project would be completed in two years.
However, the Chennai Corporation is yet to complete most of the work on stormwater drains along 1,980 roads as part of the Rs. 1,100-crore project funded by the World Bank.
According to sources, the work was already disrupted in the past due to elections, monsoon and traffic police restrictions along congested stretches.
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"We will be able to complete the work ahead of the Northeast monsoon once the government finds a solution to the sand scarcity," said an official.
At least 260 kilometres of drains proposed to be developed along the Cooum and Adyar remain key aspects of monsoon preparedness, reducing inundation in many of the flood-prone neighbourhoods.
Similarly, work on 11 major buildings including four 100-bedded hospitals in areas such as Injambakkam and Madhavaram have been stalled due to sand shortage.
"The work on the fish market in Nadukuppam has also been disrupted," said an official.
According to officials in the Public Works Department, contractors were instructed to use M-sand as an alternative to river sand through a circular in 2003. However, M-sand is being used in PWD projects only in the recent months due to the severe shortage in sourcing river sand.
"M-Sand is being used only in 20-25 % of the projects as we insist on quality because poor quality material is easily available in the market. In market, two units of M-sand is sold for Rs. 10,000 whereas river sand of same load costs Rs.30,000," said an official.
Contractors still are hesitant to use M-sand despite abundant supply because of lack of awareness and fear of inability to adhere to quality norms.