INDIA has greeted with relief the first shipment of sand from Malaysia, which regular supply is expected to reduce the acute shortage of river sand and lower the prevailing high prices for the key construction material.

Malaysians, however, are less enthusiastic about parting with the country’s sand, the loss of which could severely affect the environment.

Centre for Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia executive director told FMT in August that there was concern that the dredging of sand for export would have a harmful effect on the environment.

In response to reports that India was importing sand because it wished to conserve its natural resources, he said, “What about conserving our own natural resources?”

It is as yet unclear who supplied the 55,000 tonnes of sand that arrived in the port of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu last week. Nor is it known how much exactly the shipment fetched, But Times of India said the sand cost about Rupees 60 (RM4) per cubic feet (0.028 cubic metres), half the price of locally sourced sand.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafa told the Sun in August that as far as he knew, Malaysia was not exporting sand to India because the government had not granted approval to anyone do so.

“Any country can say they are going to import sand from Malaysia. As far as I know, we are not going to export sand to India,” he had said.

This was in response to Karnataka’s law minister TB Jayachandra’s announcement that a Malaysian company has been shortlisted to export sand to be sold in Bengaluru at Rupees 175 per 50kg bag.

Meanwhile, India is pleased to have found a seemingly inexhaustible source of sand for its buildings.

Ramaprabhu, honorary secretary of the Builders Association of India in Chennai, said a consignment of 55,000 tonnes could meet a week’s worth of demand in Chennai and the peripheries.

Even as the source of India’s imported remains a mystery to Malaysians, it is clear that it is not stopping other sand-starved Indian states from placing their orders, with Kerala reported to be at the head of the queue for sand from Malaysia. – October 29, 2017.