The Andhra Pradesh Government is seeking to encourage use of Robo sand, a natural sand substitute for use in the construction sector.
This move comes in the backdrop of shortage of sand supply impacting the construction sector in the State. The Government is in the process of streamlining sand quarrying and prevent its indiscriminate use.
Robo sand is sand manufactured in the stone quarries. It is a substitute for the river sand used in construction. Manufacturers claim it is better than the river sand.
Addressing a press conference here today, Ms Galla Aruna Kumari, State Minister for Mines, said the Government is working on modalities to regulate sand quarrying and its use, in the backdrop of recent developments including the observations made by the Supreme Court on sand quarrying.
Following a meeting of owners of stone crushing firms, the Minister said the Government is keen to encourage use of Robo sand as a substitute to natural sand. The State has about 274 stone quarries of reasonable size and 2,500 other small crushing units.
According to estimates, it requires an investment of Rs 3 crore to set up a unit for Robo sand. While large stone crushing units are comfortable investing such amounts, small firms find it tough. Therefore, the Government may consider allowing five-six small units to come together to set up a plant.
Environmental clearance
Referring to the difficulties faced in providing new sites for quarrying, she said that the Government has applied for environmental clearance for 15 locations and expects to apply for clearances for 49 other sites.
According to estimates, the State requires about 2 crore cubic meters of sand per annum for the construction activity. The State has brought about some changes in the way sand could be quarrying. This includes use of patta lands for the purpose.