The industry has suffered losses of nearly Rs 250 crore due to scarcity of the construction sand (bajri) and livelihood of several lakh of construction workers is the stake
The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), Rajasthan, has confirmed that more than 500 real estate projects in the state to have come to a halt due to sand crisis. According to the builder’s body, the industry has suffered losses of nearly Rs 250 crore due to scarcity of the construction sand (bajri) and livelihood of several lakh of construction workers is the stake.
“The bajri availability has severely dropped due to stay on mining lease and available stock is insufficient and unfairly priced. At these high prices developing affordable housing has become unfeasible,” said Anurag Sharma, president CREDAI, Rajasthan.
Sand mining has been at hold across most areas of the state following directions of the supreme court. The apex court though has directed the national green tribunal to decide on the clearance of mining lease in three-week’s time.
Meanwhile, builders in the state have expressed inability in delivering projects on time to the end buyers if the issue is not addressed soon. Even as they urged the government to strongly present the case and get the hold on mining waived, a few of them held the government responsible in the first place.
“It’s not an overnight development, but a crisis that has deepened due to inactivity of officials concerned over several years,” said a CREDAI official. “It was years ago that the court had directed on the issue of environment clearances and had it been addressed in due time it would not have been this grave today,” he added.
Scarcity of bajri has been hampering progress of various government projects as well. Even as government attempts to make alternative arrangements, the situation continues to go from bad to worse.
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