The massive house-warming ceremonies that took place on Thursday under the aegis of the State government may have made the beneficiaries happy, but in East Godavari district through which the mighty river flows, the situation is different. Over 150 apartment complexes and about 52,000 houses remain incomplete owing to paucity of sand.
Though the free sand policy was announced and the guidelines were issued, the main ingredient to the construction activity is still not reaching the end user. Not a single truck of sand has entered the market in the last fortnight and those engaged in construction activity are sceptical about its availability in the days to come as the season for floods in the Godavari is fast approaching.
“Our regular practice is to keep stocks of sand before the onset of monsoon, but this year we are not in a position even to continue the ongoing works,” observes Nekkanti Srinivas, managing partner at Sripadam Township and an active member of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers of India’s (CREDAI) Kakinada chapter.
‘Revisit the policy’
“Unless changes are made to the policy, it will be difficult for us continue the construction activity,” says Mr. Srinivas.
He is one among the 12 builders who have been continuing the construction activity, while the remaining 70 members have suspended the works.
“Of the 1.2 lakh building workers who have been registered with the Labour Department, a majority of them are sitting idle,” observes Tatipaka Madhu, working president of the Building Workers Union’s district unit.
“Works were completed long back for the houses constructed under the government’s scheme,” he points out.
Of the 23 sand reaches that are permitted to undertake mining in the district, only eight are working. The other reaches are closed down due to the completion of mining at permissible levels and seizure by the officials owing to violation of norms. “Paperwork is in progress to get clearances for 10 more sand reaches. In addition, we are also conducting a feasibility study at seven more reaches,” says K.L.V. Prasad, Assistant Director, Mines and Geology.