Ban on sand mining has stalled construction, say contractors

It’s a case of environment versus development again. A recent ban on the excavation of sand across the state has threatened to stall various construction projects in the city, government officials and contractors have said.

The construction of a railway car-shed at Virar for new-age trains has been affected as contractors complain that sand supply has virtually stopped. “I visited the project site on Tuesday. Officials there informed me that the shortage of sand is one major reason for the delay,” managing director of the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Dr PC Sehgal said.

Contractors working on bridges and other infrastructure projects echoed the same view and said the sand shortage may extend deadlines. “The ban is a positive thing for the environment, but projects will be delayed,” said Nalin Gupta, director of J Kumar Infraprojects which is involved with railway and road projects in Mumbai.

He suggested alternatives to help deal with the shortage of sand. “Crushed sand can be used instead of natural sand,” he said. “On paper, the government permits its use. As there is not much awareness about this option, many government offices do not allow us to use it. We will now fall back on this option.”

Activists and environmentalists, however, said that the government should have acted earlier. “I appreciate their concern. However, the natural supply of sand has been exploited for years,” Sumaira Abdulali, who had filed a petition on the issue, told DNA.

“The state government has not put any system in place to check sustainability, quantity, the rate of extraction, etc. It has not made any efforts to increase the supply of artificial sand substitutes.”

She added: “Given the current apathy towards creating a sustainable sand mining policy, perhaps it is only under conditions of crisis that management systems and alternatives are likely to be developed.”

The court had imposed the ban, as the damage done to river beds by sand excavation has become a serious environmental issue. The ban was imposed in response to a petition filed by the Sagar Shramik Hatpati Walu Utpadak Sahakari Sanstha Maryadit.

The court has now scheduled a further hearing in the case after a few weeks and has asked the government to file its affidavit in response to the petition. A year ago, the Awaaz Foundation had filed a PIL after which the high court had banned sand mining in all Coastal Regulation Zones.