(Siasat News) State Govt. has imposed a ban on extraction and transportation of sand from the rivers on the orders of the A.P. High Court.
A.P. Govt. is trying to approach Supreme Court for lifting this ban. Due to ban on extraction of sand, all the activities of construction have come to a standstill for the past one month. Govt. is also forced to stop the construction of houses to be given to the poor persons.
According to the estimates of construction contractors, the state needs nearly two crore cubic meter sand per annum.
Sand is abundantly available in Khammam and East Godavari Districts. It is also said that nearly 1,20,000 workers are associated with this work who have become jobless due to this ban.
Govt. is contemplating to formulate a clear cut action plan and a sand policy for the extraction and supply of sand. Reliable sources revealed that a video conference was held with the district collectors and other related officials. Mr. D. Srinivasulu, Principal Secretary, Dept. of Industries, officials of Commerce and Mines have constituted a committee which has been made responsible to collect the details responsible to collect the details of the opportunities of sand extraction and its supply.
It is also said that state Govt. is contemplating to introduce and publicise the use of “Rock Sand” (Sand prepared out of stone powder) and “Rock Powder” in place of sand.
In the construction research, it has been proved that Rock Sand is more useful than ordinary sand in building constructions. It is said that if this method is popularized, the issue of the supply of river sand could be solved.
–Siasat News–