Most quarries in district lying closed, consumers forced to buy sand dear

Despite tall claims by the AAP government of providing sand at mining sites at Rs 5.5 per cubic foot before it came to power, it is available in the retail market at Rs 40 and Rs 50, apparently 10 times costlier.

Two types of sand are available in the market. One is coarse sand, which is sourced from Pathankot and its adjoining hilly areas, and is available at Rs 5,000 (per 100 cubic feet). Another is fine sand, sourced from Ajnala and Ramdas areas of the district, which is available at Rs 4,500 (per 100 cubic feet). Similarly, gravel is being sold at Rs 37 per cubic foot and above depending on quality.

Hardeep Singh, a contractor who has been constructing residential and commercial sites along with his group of labourers for the past two decades, said the price of locally quarried fine sand has been hovering between Rs 4,000 and 5,000 per 100 cubic feet after this government came to power in the state.

Vimal Kumar, who is getting his house constructed, said what happened with the government’s claim of fixing sand and gravel prices at Rs 5.5 per cubic foot at mining sites about three years ago. The government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is least bothered about taking stock of the commodities required by the common man.

Despite tall claims by the government to provide sand at low prices, consumers, especially from low and middle income group families, are finding it tough to meet rising construction prices.

Retailers told Amritsar Tribune that quarries in Ajnala have been lying closed since the AAP-led government came to power.

Meanwhile, officials of the Drainage department, which looks after quarries, said as per the district survey report conducted some years ago, there are 16 quarries of sand situated close to the Ravi and Beas rivers in the district. All of them are lying closed since the High Court stayed that no extraction of minor minerals was permitted without the no-objection certificates from the Army and the BSF.

At present, city people’s requirements for sand and gravel is being fed by quarries of Pathankot and Jalandhar. Officials held the high transportation costs as a reason for exorbitant sand and gravel prices in the local market. They assure that as per the policy of the government, the price of sand will be available at Rs 5.5 per cubic foot at the mining site, once things get in order.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said all mining sites in Ajnala region are closed due to the restriction of five km border issue. Public mining site at Baba Bakala is operational at present.