Sand-starved, builders urge TN govt to reopen quarries

CHENNAI: The Builders' Association of India (BAI) has urged the state government to resume the operations of sand quarries to address the scarcity of river sand for construction activities.

Addressing the media persons in Chennai on Thursday, BAI state chairman B Palanivel, secretary K Venkatesan and others pointed out that the availability of essential mineral raw materials such as river sand, gravel, M-Sand, and bricks has drastically reduced, leading to stagnation in construction activities.

"Such shortage poses challenges for contractors who are expected to complete government projects and private sector developments within stipulated deadlines, especially under the RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) regulations. A significant crippling factor is the unavailability of river sand, as PWD-operated sand quarries are currently non-functional, halting all government sector construction that was reliant on this critical resource," they added.

The association highlighted that the supply chain disruptions have caused the price of M-Sand to double. Quarry owners, constrained by stringent industry production regulations, have reduced the size and time allocated for gravel crushing, further exacerbating demand-supply mismatches and driving up costs.

They urged the government to address the acute scarcity of river sand by resuming operations of PWD sand quarries. "Regularise restrictions on government and private quarries to ensure a stable supply of mineral raw materials. Establish government-fixed pricing for gravel and M-Sand to curb market inflation and support contractors,” they demanded.

They observed that the availability of materials at reasonable prices is critical to the successful and timely execution of infrastructure projects, including buildings, housing, bridges, roads, and waterways, in both government and private sectors. Resolving this issue will also safeguard the livelihood of contractors and those dependent on the construction industry.