Three sand depots to be reopened soon in Visakhapatnam

The government has decided to give sand depots at Mudasarlova, Aganampudi and Bheemunipatnami to private retailers through open auction, says official

The sand depots at Mudasarlova, Aganampudi and Bheemunipatnami will soon be reopened and run by retail suppliers to meet the sand requirements of the small and medium scale consumers in and around Visakhapatnam, says District Mines and Geology Officer B. Jagannadha Rao.

Speaking to The Hindu on Sunday, October 27, Mr. Rao said that the tenders for the three sand depots would be called soon, after which the retail suppliers will be finalised through open auction. Consumers could buy sand from these depots, where sand will be sold at retail prices as per the State government guidelines, he said.

While those who require sand in bulk (above 2,000 tonnes) go to the sand reaches at Rajahmundry or Srikakulam, the small and medium scale consumers could obtain the sand at these sand depots, said Mr. Rao.

“The government has decided to give sand depots to private retailers through open auction in selected districts, including Visakhapatnam, where there is no sand availability due to lack of rivers and other resources,” said Mr. Rao.

“We will open the tenders and complete the process by next week or the first week of November. We are making all arrangements to sell sand for a maximum of ₹1,200-₹1,300 per tonne through these three sand depots,” he said.

“We are trying to bring about 50% of the sand from the Srikakulam district, which is more than 100 km away from Visakhapatnam,” added Mr. Rao.

Visakhapatnam depends on the sand reaches of neighbouring districts, where rivers like Vamsadhara, Nagavali, and Godavari flow. The transportation charges have to be borne by the retail suppliers, who collect them from the consumers in return. However, with the reopening of the sand depots in the district, the officials opine that the accessibility of sand will improve greatly for small and medium scale buyers.

CREDAI Visakhapatnam Chapter vice-president E. Ashok Kumar, meanwhile, has said that they brought the issue of the non-availability of sand to the attention of Collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad in the last meeting and that Mr. Prasad responded positively.

Mr. Kumar noted that work has come to a standstill in the district in the last few months due to the scarcity of sand.

‘We hope that the sand problem will be resolved post-Diwali. Only after the sand is made available will the construction activity resume. Thousands of migrant workers, who have been eking out a living in the construction sector, are finding it difficult to make both ends meet due to the sand scarcity,” said Mr. Kumar.

Published - October 27, 2024 07:00 pm IST