PWD to set up two more sand depots in Tiruvallur district

“We have already opened two depots in Karur and Cuddalore. Now, to meet the demand, we are set to open two more sand depots in Tiruvallur district by next week. We are identifying spots to open seven more sand depots across the state,” a PWD official said.

Earlier, the system allowed any lorry to transport sand from the river. After the introduction of online system in May 2017, things have changed now, the official said. “Lorry owners should first enter details like registration number to obtain necessary certificates. For instance, if lorries do not get fitness certificates for a long time, an information will pop up on the display that owners should get FC so that they can be eligible for loading sand from the yards,” the official said.

S Yuvaraj, president of the Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Federation, called for more sand depots. “The government should divide the state into three zones and appoint civil servants to monitor the depots,” he suggested.

When asked for a comment, the special officer (sand-mining) told DT Next said that opening the two sand deports in Tiruvallur by next week was the immediate priority. “We are in the process of identifying places to open two or three more sand yards by May-end,” the official said.