Neighbouring Karwar has filled the void created by the shortfallof sand for the booming construction business in the State.
Almost 50 trucks with sand from Karwar and Londa enter Goaevery day with no regulations or policy governing import of sand. The sandmeets the State’s construction boom from Cavelossim to Candolim and Agonda toArpora.
Social activism and government curbs on sand extraction havereduced sand mining in the State.
“Sand mining takes place in three rivers -- Avishani,Sherawati and Kali -- in Karwar. Most of the sand is imported to Goa since sandmining activity has almost come to a halt in Canacona and Talpona,” said KarwarAdditional Collector, Vijai Mahentesh.
In fact sand and sponge iron transportation from Karwar toGoa led to increase in accidents along the route and damaged our roads duringmonsoons, the additional collector said. That was one of the reasons why Karwarhad banned all sand transportation to Goa until 2011, he disclosed.
“But since ore and sponge iron transportation has come to astandstill because of the crackdown on illegal mining, Karwar has lifted theban on sand transportation this monsoon,” Mahentesh said.
Sand contractor Visnu Tapan who operates trucks along theGoa-Karwar border disclosed that sand imports dip during monsoons, as wet sandhas more weight.
“River sand has little salinity and therefore the demand ofsand mined out of rivers is high. With a crackdown on sand mining in Goa, weare forced to buy sand from Karwar. Also Goan rivers have not been dredged forlong and are filled with iron mining rejects, muck and silt which making sandmining unfeasible,” said Anil Dessai, a sand transporting agent from Karmalghat.
“Sand mining is big investment only next to iron oretransportation,”said Deputy Director of Mines, Karwar, D P Hegde.
