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| Sunday, 20 June 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Construction hampered by steel and sand bars by Gamini Warusamana The ever- increasing price of sand and steel in the local market has hampered the construction industry as well as individual house- builders. The price of steel is getting steeper due to increases in world market prices while sand prices are increasing due to the shortage of sand in the river basins and the limiting of mining to licence- holders only. Use of sand lying at Muthurajawela is an immediate solution to the increasing price of sand and will accelerate construction while the long- term solution is off- shore dredging. Chairman of the Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI) Surath Wickramasinghe told the Sunday Observer business the price of a cubic metre of sand has increased from Rs 1500 to Rs 6000 due to the shortage of sand in the river basins of the Kelani river Maoya and Deduru oya as there has been extensive harvesting of sand in these areas. As a short- term solution the sand that has been brought for the construction of the Colombo Katunayaka Expressway which is lying idle can be used for work where sand is absolutely necessary, but it has to be washed before use. He emphasised that river sand should not be used for filling of roads and culverts where earth can be used. Wickremasinghe said that unless the three rivers are kept untouched for at least 5-6 years the country will encounter a water and sand crisis in the near future. He said that the solution to the problem varies from province to province. The most suitable and durable solution in the Western province is the use of sea sand, which also has to be washed before use. Most of the other provinces also can use sea sand as we are an island nation. The other sources are dune sand, sand from heavy metal mining and the deepening of some lagoons and catchments upstream of resevoirs and manufactured sand. CCI says that the long- term solution is offshore dredging of the sea. There are large deposits of sand in the deep sea over the Western coast, but this would require large capital investment to install dredgers and cleaning facilities. However it is economically viable and profitable. The private sector is ready to accept the challenge if the government supports it. Countries such as Maldives and Singapore have been using sea sand in the construction for several years. The CEO of CCI, and Former Chairman of the National Land Development and Reclamation Board Dakshitha Thalgodapitiya proposes that the Government establish a National Dredging Corporation with public private collaboration. He said that it would be able to provide sand requirements for the construction industry as well as providing filling material for Highways, urban infrastructure development, coastal protection, Ports and Harbour construction . Steel prices have increased from Rs.35000 per MT to Rs.75 000 or 114%,being reduced later by around Rs. 2500.00 in the past few months. According to the Steel Corporation prices have increased mainly due to the increase in prices of import raw materials. Increased construction in Middle East and China is the main factor of increase in steel prices and raw material prices in the international market. Industrialists say that another reason for the shortage is strict enforcement of the existing laws on sand mining from rivers. Considering environmental impacts, Government, provincial and local councils have strictly limited sand mining to license- holders. Therefore the supply has reduced sharply, but the authorities have not paid attention to the impact on the construction industry or provided any alternative solution to meet the demand, accuses industrialists. The biggest sand user is the Western province its annual usage being is estimated at 2,930,000 cubic metres or 40% of the total country usage. The Second largest user is the Southern province. Its annual usage is estimated as 1,100,000 cubic metres. The total sand requirement of the country has been estimated at 7,300,000 cubic metres. |
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