Sand quarrying ban to jack up cost: Realtors
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With the AP High Court’s ban on sand quarrying coming into force across the state on Sunday, the real estate sector has sent an SOS to the government, asking it intervene and tackle the “crisis”.
According to buil-ders, the construction costs will go up by about 15 per cent in the short term, as sand constitutes between 8 and 11 per cent of the total building cost. On Monday, sand dealers in Hyderabad nearly doubled the prices of different sand varieties to cash in on the demand. Large quantities of sand come here from Vijayawada and Bhadrachalam.
A tonne of sand was going for Rs 700 to Rs 800 till last week. But dealers are now asking for Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,500 per tonne.
Developers are apprehensive that projects worth thousands of crores will either be stalled or delayed if the government fails to address the issue. immediately.
The whole sector depends on transportation of sand from other districts, they said.
High Court refuses to vacate plea
The AP High Court on Monday refused the plea of the state government to lift the ban on sand mining in the state.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar on March 21 granted an order by banning the sand quarrying in the state from April 1. The bench was dealing with a batch of writ petitions challenging the illegal sand mining and inaction of the authorities in preventing it.
Sudarshan Reddy, the Advocate-General, urged the court to vacate the order as it causes not only loss to exchequer but also leads to scarcity of sand for the construction activity across the state.
The CJ, however, asked how a boat workers’ society will be able to invest crores of rupees for the quarrying by using heavy machinery for excavation? Is it possible for a society to invest such huge amounts without indulging in illegal mining?
Referring to the age of two contractors (in the 25-27 years age group), he wondered how such young people could invest crores. Obviously they are “benamies” of someone. and “We cannot allow such benami transactions,” the Chief Justice added.
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