Goan sand transporters refused sand from River Kali
Permits to Karwar transporters with Goa-registered trucks but not Goan’s trucks
Goans have threatened to stop Karwar sand trucks from entering Goa
TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
POINGUINIM: The battle between sand transporters of Karwar and Goa has resumed once again, with the Karwar sand transporters allegedly refusing to allow the Goa sand transporters from picking up sand from the River Kali.
According to sources, there is an acute shortage of Karwar sand due to high demand for exports to Goa and the Karwar sand transporters are reluctant to share the transport business with their Goan rivals.
It may be recalled that sand transporters from both sides of the border have been at loggerheads over the lower rates offered by the Karwar truckers in Goa. The differences came to a boil when the highway was blocked at the Polem border and Karwar sand transport vehicles were not allowed to enter Goa in June 2009.
A meeting was convened by both rival parties to resolve the crisis and the sand trade business resumed, until the Karnataka government imposed a blanket ban on sand exports from Karnataka to other states in 2010.
Last week, the sand trade from Karwar to Goa resumed but the Karwar sand operators refused to sell sand to the Goan sand transporters.
This has not been taken well by the Goa sand transporters and they have convened a meeting to discuss the issue. They have threatened to stop all sand transporting vehicles from entering Goa.
In 2000, the sand merchants at Karwar had 14 plots and they used to charge Rs 170 per cubic meter. But now, the rates have risen sharply to Rs 500 per cubic meter and the sand is later sold in and around Canacona at about Rs 3000 per cubic meter. A tipper truck can carry around 5-7 cubic meters of sand.
The contractors and builders still prefer buying Karwari sand in Canacona as they feel that the Karwari sand is superior in quality as compared to the sand from other riverbeds in Goa.
Around 50 trucks were seen waiting in a queue at the Kodibag jetty in Karwar to load sand at the various riverbeds, where heavy machinery is used to load the sand in the trucks.
It is hectic construction time before the commencement of the monsoon and the sand extractors are not able to meet the demand. Big time traders from Karwar and Goa buy sand from the sand contractors when the rates fall and stock the sand in open land at different places, only to sell the sand at a premium when the demand peaks.
What has angered the Goa sand transporters is that Karnataka authorities have issued permits to Karwari trucks and those Goa-registered trucks which are operated by Karwar sand transporters, but the same authorities are reluctant to issue permits to Goa-registered trucks operated by Goa sand transporters.
A number of sand transporters from Canacona have also expressed disappointment with their own union leaders, for failing to take up their cause.
“We had an active union named South Goa Sand Transporters Association (SGSTA), but former committee members have become inactive,” said a sand transporter from Canacona, Kishore Punon Naik.
In 2009, the SGSTA had around 500 members and around 150 vehicles were involved in transporting sand from Karwar to Kodibag.
