Srikakulam: Soaring sand prices hit construction activities

Srikakulam: The ban imposed on sand mining by the government is causing too much hike of its price and turned as a costly material in construction field than cement and iron. The customers in need of sand have to get permission from the concerned mandal tahsildar and per tractor load of sand, one has to pay Rs 1,100 to the government.

To transport sand, the customers have to arrange tractor, driver and locate the sand heaps which are already stored near the rivers. These three facilities have to be arranged by the customer only and revenue department will not take any responsibility. After paying Rs 1100 per each tractor load of sand, the concerned tahsildar will give permission to get sand.

In addition to it, the customer has to purchase sand from the owners by paying Rs 1,500-Rs 2,000 per each load and he has to bear rent for tractor, driver charges and wages for workers to load the sand into tractor from the heaps. The customer has to bear the risk for tractor if any other officials like vigilance and enforcement, mines and geology and police stopped the vehicle and pose queries or otherwise customer has to satisfy them by paying something. For paying all these charges, wages, formalities and vehicle rent, the total amount per tractor load of sand will cross Rs 4,000.

"I need three tractors of sand to complete my house works but unable to satisfy all these requirements, which put additional burden on me to make payments," said Kuna Sridhar of Vanjangi village in Amudalavalasa mandal. During the TDP regime mafia exploited the sand from rivers with alleged support of MLAs and ministers. Now, such kind of mafia not witnessed but sand is not available to common man. "Due to non-availability of sand, building workers lost their livelihood," stated Building Workers Union district secretary M Adinarayana.