Amritsar, March 15: The sand prices in the district have increased by almost Rs 700-800 per 100 cubic feet reportedly after the recent crackdown on illegal mining in the Doaba region around a week ago.
The coarse sand used preferably in the construction of walls and roof is now priced at Rs 3,300 per 100 cubic ft against Rs 2,500 a week ago.The price of fine sand, used for plaster work, has also increased to Rs 3,000 from Rs 2,200. The price of second-grade fine sand has gone up to Rs 2,400 from Rs 1,600.
Mahabir Singh, a construction contractor, said: “The sand prices in the district had dipped in October-November last year and remained stagnant since then. The sudden increase in prices has come as a surprise.
It has affected the construction activity.”Rakesh Kumar, a trader of construction material, said: “The prices have increased immediately after the government crackdown on illegal mining. We are being told by suppliers that the commodity would continue to be sold at an increased price.”
He said many of their customers had put off construction projects and were waiting for the prices to come to normal levels.In June last year, the sand prices had peaked ahead of the auction of mining sites. After the crackdown on illegal mining, the overall mining activity has slowed down. The high sand prices during the previous government’s tenure was a major reason of its unpopularity.
Source Tribune India
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