KURNOOL: With rising flood threat to several villages on the banks of river Tungabhadra, access to sand reaches has been snapped. Though the government had announced its sand policy, consumers in Kurnool are unable to tap it due to rising water-levels in the rivers.
Out of 11 identified sand reaches, only four reaches are dispensing sand. Raga Mayuri Builders Ltd. managing director K.J. Reddy said that the construction industry had been going through a phase of stress due to non-availability of sand for the past three months.
With the announcement of new sand policy, we thought we could resume works but the impending floods has hit our business plans, he said.
It has become a ‘futile sand policy’, he rued.
Sand reaches in and around Kurnool city such as Panchalingala, Devamada, Pudur and Padithempadu sand reaches have been totally submerged in waters. In Nandyal also, sand reaches were submerged under Kundu rivers.
The only sand reaches available in the district were identified at Kowthalam, Gudikambali, Naguladinne in Yemmiganur and Nadichagi sand reach, open for lifting sand. But someone from Kurnool has to go to these places to pick up sand, the transportation costs alone work out to an extra `750 per tractor, said a realtor.
The mineral development corporation, which has been operating a depot at Kodumur, is also fraught with problems.
The inflow into Tungabhadra river has been rising at the rate of 85,000 cusecs. It would take at least two months for the sand reaches to be ready for lifting sand, said an official.
