“I have used other alternatives for my private construction but, for government projects, I am using sand which I had stocked up beforehand,” said the proprietor of Yarkay Constructions. The Natural Resources Development Corporation Limited (NRDCL) charges a royalty of Nu 560 for eight cubic meters of sand bought from the quarry site in Wangduephodrang. It is Nu 1130 if bought from the depot.

However, the shortage of sand had affected the market price of the sand. Earlier, contractors paid about Nu 5000, which included the price of the sand and the transportation, for a truckload of sand. They now pay about Nu 8000.

“I am ready to pay any amount but the raw material is not available in the market. I have even imported from Phuentsholing,” said Ugay, a desperate contractor, whose work has been delayed.

He also bought four truckloads of sand made from crushed stone for his own building recently.

Sangay Gyeltshen, the Marketing Manager of NRDCL, said that their stocks in Wangdue and Punakha were exhausted in the beginning of August. He said that they had just enough stock for ongoing government projects. “We are exploring areas to overcome the shortage and making it easier for contractors to get sand from Phuentsholing by negotiating rates with truckers,” said Sangay Gyeltshen.

However, with the increase in the price of fuel and the roads damaged every now and then between the Phuentsholing-Thimphu highway, contractors are suffering.

This year NRDCL supplied 14,000 truckloads of sand and they say that the shortage came about as a case of supply not meeting demand.

“The season is over and the other possibility of sand shortage in the market may be due to hoarding but people can avail sand at an affordable price from us,” said Sangay Gyeltshen. The ’season’ will start from the month of October.

The shortage of sand has not only affected contractors but also the business of truckers who transport sand for contractors. Kinley, who transports sand from Wangdue to Thimphu, said he has less work now. “There is no sand at the source so I have started taking up other local work,” he said.

Some of the truckers can be seen playing cards or dozing off in their trucks at the truck park in Thimphu as they do not have much to do.

Source: http://www.bhutanobserver.bt