Mangaluru Builders in Crisis as Monsoon Looms and Sand Shortage Worsens
With the monsoon season expected to halt construction activity imminently, builders and contractors in Mangaluru are in a frantic race to secure sand supplies. An acute shortage, persisting for years, has dramatically escalated construction costs across the city.
Costs Skyrocket as Sand Prices Triple
The financial impact is staggering. Building a standard house has become nearly Rs 2.25 lakh more expensive due to the unprecedented spike in sand prices. This crisis stems directly from a four-year ban on sand mining in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas, a restriction that continues to derail project budgets.
Satish Jogi, Vice-President of the Civil Contractors Association, confirmed the prolonged nature of the shortage, stating it has plagued the industry for the last three to four years. Contractors unanimously identify the ongoing CRZ mining ban as the primary culprit.
CRZ Ban Blocks Vital Supply, Forces Costly Alternatives
Ujwal D'Souza, Past Chairman of the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India), Mangaluru Centre, explained that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has still not approved the resumption of sand mining in CRZ regions. This regulatory deadlock has catastrophic financial consequences.
"Sand that earlier cost Rs 20 per cubic foot from CRZ areas is now sourced from non-CRZ regions at Rs 70 per cubic foot," D'Souza revealed, highlighting a more than threefold increase. The situation is further complicated by the inferior quality of sand from non-CRZ areas like Adyar, Uppinangady, and Puttur.
Contractors report that this coarser sand is not ideal for construction, leading to nearly 50% wastage. The fine-quality sand found at river mouths in CRZ zones is preferred for its superior binding properties, but it remains inaccessible.
Illegal Procurement and Soaring Market Prices
Mahabala Kottary, President of the Civil Contractors Association, Mangaluru, detailed how the stoppage of legal CRZ mining has fueled a black market. "For urgent use, people are sourcing sand from Kundapur in Udupi and from Kerala for Rs 24,000-25,000 for 300 cft (one load). We do not know if they have permits, but they claim it is from the CRZ region," said Kottary.
This represents an almost fourfold increase from the Rs 6,000-Rs 8,000 per load that CRZ sand would have cost. Kottary provided a concrete example: a standard 2,500 sq ft house requires 15 loads of sand. With the per-load cost rising from Rs 6,000 to an average of Rs 21,000, the total cost escalates by Rs 2.25 lakh.
Failed Solutions and Inadequate Substitutes
The crisis is exacerbated by the failure of potential solutions. The SandBazaar app, initiated for ordering sand from non-CRZ regions, is now defunct. "We are scared to put our money as we do not get sand, nor the refund. About 40% of the construction cost goes in taxes," Kottary lamented.
Alternative materials like M-sand (manufactured sand) are not a viable fix. Kottary noted that the M-sand available in Mangaluru is often laced with dust, unlike the double-washed product supplied to cities like Bengaluru and Mysuru. Contractors estimate that the supply of good-quality M-sand meets only up to 40% of the total requirement, leaving a massive deficit.
As the monsoon clouds gather, Mangaluru's construction industry faces a perfect storm: a regulatory ban, a critical shortage of essential materials, skyrocketing illegal prices, and the impending seasonal shutdown, all combining to cripple projects and inflate costs beyond control.
