HC ban on sand dredging has hit projects: builders

Earlier this year,the HC had banned the use of suction motor pumps stating that excessive mechanised sand dredging leads to rampant erosion. Sand miners have to purchase permits from the revenue department while giving an undertaking that no suction motor pumps would be used. However,with mechanised dredging continuing unabated,on September 23 the court in an interim order banned sand extraction entirely including in cases where the sand-miners hold valid licences. The ban would be in place until the government is ready with a policy to regulate sand extraction. “The extraction of sand across Maharashtra has become a serious issue,posing environmental degradation,thereby causing serious threats of flood or diversion of water flow,” the court had observed.

Developers say they are looking at alternatives like crush sand which is sand manufactured from rocks. They state that in many cases that existing tender conditions already stipulate the use of river sand. “We respect the court orders as also the environmental concerns… but we are only asking for reasonable time to make the transition. Right now,we are not even allowed to bring in sand from states like Gujarat. As costs go up,the resultant delay in projects would mean that consumers will ultimately have to bear the increased costs,” said BAI general secretary Mahesh Mudda.

According to BAI estimates,Mumbai needs 10,000 cubic metres (about 1,300 truckloads) of sand daily while supply had already trickled to 4000 cubic metres over the last one year. Developers state that a slowdown in construction industry will adversely affect many manufacturing industries such as cement,steel,sanitary-ware,marbles,plywood and glass.