Sand, laterite stone shortage hits construction industry in Dakshina Kannada
Representative Image MANGALURU: The construction industry in Dakshina Kannada is at a standstill, with real estate developers and civil contractors facing an acute shortage of sand and laterite stones. The scarcity of sand is primarily due to the ban on extraction during the rainy season to facilitate the breeding of fish in waterbodies. A lack of permits and strict law enforcement against illegal sand trade has also led to the shortage crisis. Meanwhile, laterite stone contractors are on strike against a steep hike in the fee for quarrying. Civil Contractors Association president Mahabala Kottary said that the construction industry is…