Flat owners, beware!

T Sunil Reddy / TNN / Dec 3, 2005, 02:06 IST

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Several builders are using filtered sand to raise the building structures, which will eventually pose a threat to the building itself.

HYDERABAD: Buyers of apartments in the city beware. Several builders are using filtered sand to raise the building structures, which will eventually pose a threat to the building itself.
Filtered sand is prepared by segregating sand from the red soil which is available abundantly in the city outskirts.
While a truck load of normal sand generated from the river beds costs Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000, filtered sand is available at Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 in the market.
Structural engineers warn that filtered sand does not have a binding capacity when compared to what is got from the rivers.

"While those who construct independent houses are careful about the sand that is used, builders regularly use filtered sand because of the cost factor," K R Rao, a structural engineer, said.
He said cracks would soon surface on the walls if filtered sand is used in construction.
The AP High Court, acting on a writ petition, had in February, 2004 prohibited the use of filtered sand for construction activities.
The court had directed the revenue and police officials at the sub-divisional level to take action against those preparing the filtered sand.

Even the vigilance and enforcement wing, in a series of raids conducted in the recent past, found that over 100 filtered sand manufacturing units were functioning on the city outskirts.
The V&E sleuths found sand was being prepared by digging the Suryanarayana cheruvu (lake bed) at Rampally village under Keesara mandal and the local water users association had even collected Rs 2.5 lakh from the contractor.
Likewise, a total of 45 units were unearthed at Raviryal, Sundarnagar and Konganakurdu villages under Maheshwaram mandal.
Another 36 units were traced at Begumpet, Rachaluru and Madhapur villages under Kandukur mandal. In all the places the contractors were using free electricity meant for agricultural purpose.
On an average, about 500 to 600 truck loads of filtered sand is being sold at different 'addas' in the city ��Mehdipatnam, Bahadurpura, Tarnaka, Tadbun, Yousufugda, Erragadda and Santoshnagar areas.

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