Guntur: The construction sector is facing crisis due to shortage of sand supply as a result of syndication of sand contractors.
The police and revenue departments have initiated stern action against illegal sand digging. Hence, the sand mafia tightened the sand supply to cope with the situation finally troubling the public and construction sector.
The Guntur administration has decided to hand over sand reaches to women self-help groups to curb sand mafia and primarily decided to sanction Rayapudi and Undavalli sand reaches to self-help groups.
The sand price is increased to Rs 15,000 per lorry from earlier Rs 4,500 which is forcing the public to shell more money on construction. The construction activity restarted after the announcement of new capital and further selection of Guntur as smart city.
G. Subramaneswara Rao, constructing own house in Guntur, lamented that he planned to complete the construction with Rs 15 lakh. But now he is forced to pay nearly Rs 2 lakh extra due to increase in sand price. Speeding up construction activity increased demand for sand andhence the sand syndicate is charging high price according to distance.
Builders Welfare Association president G. Tirupati Rao said that the government has decided Rs 2,750 for six cubic meters of sand and it would cost Rs 5,500 to Rs 6,000 including transportation but contractors are collecting Rs 14,000 to Rs15,000 according to demand. He rued that this high price would further increase the cost of flats and apartments, finally putting extra burden on the public. He lamented that several times BWA took the issue of the high price to the notice of the higher officials of the district including collector but of no use.
The government is earning '7.5 crore income per annum through sand reaches in the district and officials are expecting doubling of income if sand reaches are given to self-help groups.
