Complaints have surfaced that adulterated sand is being widely sold in Tamil Nadu under the label of “Andhra sand”, with authorities struggling to curb the practice.
After 12 river sand quarries operating in the state were shut in 2023, the Water Resources Department obtained environmental clearance to open river sand quarries at 30 new locations. However, confusion over appointing contractors has stalled the process midway.
The report says differences emerged between Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan and officials over granting permissions again to certain individuals, affecting contractor appointments. In the meantime, some licence holders who claim to be extracting gravel soil are allegedly mining river sand illegally in a few districts and selling it.
With river sand becoming expensive and out of reach for many buyers, construction firms have turned to sourcing sand from Andhra Pradesh, where sand is sold in areas such as Godavari, Penna and Nellore. Engineers allege some Tamil Nadu-based firms are mixing coastal sand with imported river sand in a 50:50 ratio and selling it at around Rs 8,000 per 100 cubic feet.
They warn that higher salinity can weaken construction quality and may lead to cracks and damage within months. Despite complaints to the Mines and Water Resources departments, they claim no action has been taken, and sales have increased during the election period. A Mines department official said sand lorries are caught at check posts in several districts, including Chennai, but inspections are limited to documents as there are no procedures to test sand quality.
