Relief for builders in Vijayawada as sand scarcity eases

Builders in the city heaved a sigh of relief with construction activities picking up pace after a span of several months. As sand supply normalises, construction works have resumed, despite prices of cement and other material shooting up. Insufficient sand supply across the state had stalled construction for over six months. Following a string of protests by construction workers and opposition parties, the state government opened multiple sand reaches while several other sand reaches have been identified for development. Krishna district collector A Mohammed Imtiaz said additional sand reserves have been identified to cater to the needs of builders for the next three years. The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) is running a special portal for bulk sales to facilitate building activity. “The construction industry is relieved with the new sand policy. We are able to get a truckload of sand (four cubic meter) at Rs 10,500, which would earlier cost Rs 25,000,” said RV Swamy, president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), Vijayawada unit.