Vessel hauling 58,616 tonnes of river sand reaches Thoothukudi port

THOOTHUKUDI

While a considerable volume of imported sand from Malaysia is yet to be moved from Thoothukudi seaport, another consignment of 58,616 tonnes of river sand was imported from the same destination.

A vessel hauling the sand sailed into V.O. Chidambaranar Port and it was staying at the outer anchorage point of the port from Wednesday night, sources told The Hindu on Thursday.

In October last year, 55,000 tonnes of river sand was imported from Malaysia.

Despite a huge demand for sand by the construction industry, the imported sand remained piled up at the port here. J.P. Joe Villavarayar, president, Thoothukudi Ship Agents Association, said the port authorities were demanding court order to off-load the imported cargo, and hence the sand-laden cargo vessel was at staying the outer anchorage point.

He said the Madras High Court should give a clear directive to authorities concerned on transportation of the sand from the port.

T. Henry Daniel, regional chairman, Federation of All Civil Engineers Association of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, said the High Court had already passed orders to transport the imported sand from the port and the reason for non-transportation of the sand was still not known.

In the wake of ban enforced on river sand mining, manufactured sand (M-sand) quarries thrived and stakeholders of construction industry were dependent on those quarries. But, several M-sand quarries were closed in recent times for various reasons by the government. Subsequently, the construction industry suffered a setback and workers and engineers were rendered jobless.

Mr. Daniel said members of the federation staged an attention-seeking demonstration in Chennai on December 16 last year to allow transportation of imported sand, streamline operations of M-sand quarries and pressed for various other demands for the resurrection of construction industry.