The insufficient amount of sand dredged from the Mahaweli River in Polonnaruwa and the increasing price of the available sand have caused significant distress to consumers and many in the construction sector.
Currently, the state-owned company issues three cubes of sand from Manampitiya — considered the best quality sand and in highest demand in Sri Lanka — at a price of Rs. 26,700. When these three cubes of sand are transported to the Anuradhapura district, tipper truck owners charge Rs. 85,000. If transported to the Colombo area, the cost exceeds Rs. 100,000, according to a representative of the sand company.
There are 154 sand mining sites along the Mahaweli River in Manampitiya, employing over 1,000 workers. A sand dumper is paid Rs. 3,300 per cube of sand dumped.
More than 500 lorries arrive daily, five days a week, to transport sand from Manampitiya. Loading is carried out on a token basis. H.M.W.D. Jayamal, the site officer of the Manampitiya Sand Company, stated that each lorry gets only one chance per week to load sand. He further explained that the shortage of workers and the rising water level of the Mahaweli River have also contributed to the increase in sand prices.
