Tamil Nadu to get 20 more M-sand units

The number of manufactured sand (M-Sand) units in the State is set to go up to 90, as a high-level committee is expected to meet in the first week of February to grant permission to operate 20 more M-Sand units.

The committee comprises of members from the Buildings wing of the Public Works Department (PWD), Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB), Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB), Highways Department, Military Engineer Services (MES), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Structural Engineering Research Center (SERC), and technical experts from Anna University and IIT Madras.

Sources said it is likely to meet on February 6. “We have received 121 applications to start M Sand units. About 30 samples have been sent for laboratory tests. Twenty that meet the requirements prescribed by the government are likely to get approval from the committee,” said a PWD official. Explaining the procedure, the official said the engineers would visit the site and collect the samples. It would be sent to the laboratories run by the State and Central governments. A member of the committee would hold discussions with the applicants to collect details like their supply chain, before the clearance is given.

The licenses granted by the committee are valid for three years, after which it has tobe renewed.

This development comes in the backdrop of complaints registered with the PWD about the alleged poor quality sands.

“The supply of inferior quality M-Sand is a huge problem in the market. Currently there are over 350 units being operated in the State. We want the government to regulate this illegal market,” urged S Yuvaraj, president of Tamil Nadu State Sand Lorry Owners Federation.

However, PWD officials involved in the work maintained that the number of complaints has come down steeply over the years. Besides, the government is in the final stage of preparing a draft policy on M-Sand, said sources. “We are waiting for the committee’s approval on penalising the offenders,” added an official from the PWD.