Sand Shortage Hits Construction in Andhra Pradesh

Kakinada: A terrible shortage of sand has adversely affected the state’s construction sector. There is a stop on sand mining on Krishna and Godavari basins and other rivers as a petition has been filed in Supreme Court about illegal sand mining in the rivers.

The previous government stored sand stocks at various points to make use them during rainy season. However, after elections, most of these stocks have run out at East Godavari district.

In Konaseema district, there are six stock points out of which four were emptied. Another stock point at Zonnada has been encircled by water-logging.

At Kapileswarapuram, there is only 2,000 tonnes of sand left at the point which will last only a couple of days. Only in East Godavari district, sand is available at desiltation points. On Krishna basin, there is no sand mining now. There were stock points at Nagavali and Vamsadhara rivers, but they will run out soon, officials said.

The state government has fixed Rs 260 to Rs 270 per tonne of sand at sand points and the consumer would bear the transport charges.

Maximum 20 tonnes of sand are given per day to a consumer who submits his aadhar card. But middlemen by using political influences stocked sand and sell it at high prices.

According to S. V. Acharyulu, he bought sand at Rs 27,000 for a 7 tonne lorry while one day back, he bought sand at Rs 9,000 per tractor for one unit. Sand consumers have urged the government to make sand available to them at suitable prices.

Kakinada district mines and geological officer E. Narasimha Reddy said there is no sand stocks in the district and the district collector S. Shanmohan asked East Godavari officials to open two stock points at Dowleswaram and Rajamahendravaram. He said if consumers want sand, they can go to East Godavari stock points.

East Godavari district collector P. Prashanthi who reviewed sand transport issues at Rajamahendravaram on Tuesda directed officials to allocate slot booking for vehicles and issue truck sheet to them.

She said the joint collector would issue permissions for vehicles and then only vehicles would be allowed.