Credai says ban on sand mining is retrograde move

The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India has described the National Green Tribunal’s ban on sand mining as “anti-growth.”

The chairman of the apex body of developers, Lalit Kumar Jain, said in a press release that the ban on river sand mining will further impact the real estate industry.

Jain said sand is an essential raw material for construction. Planners, while issuing building permissions, must also assess the requirement of material such as sand or metal. The ban “is a retrograde move as it harms the nation’s growth,” he said. He said the ban will also result in sand smuggling, and fuel the growth of sand mafia, instead of curbing it. Plaster quality in urban areas and coastal cities such as Mumbai is worsening by the day because of unavailability of quality river sand.

Delay, overruns

The ban will lead to delays in project completion, increase the cost threefold as it will have to be imported from countries such as Pakistan and Cambodia to bridge the shortfall.

Besides realty sector, sand is an important ingredient in infrastructure projects like mass rapid transit systems and metro projects. It is also a primary constituent in core sector projects such as power plants, Jain said.

Sand prices

He said the industry is burdened with a huge increase in sand prices over the past three years. Instead of banning, the government must focus on finding alternatives.

CREDAI represents over 8,800 developers through 20 States and 114 city chapters across the country. Its numerous initiatives and activities help developers come together and work towards better practices, improved customer service and a stronger realty industry.

COMMENT NOW