Monica Umesh
Published: 2014
Total Pages: 0
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The purpose of this paper is to examine sustainable construction practices with respect to the use of substitutes for sand in construction and the enforcement of the same through legislation. It is a well-known fact that the use of riverbed sand for construction purposes has gradually led to excessive sand mining. This has in turn affected the environment and further, the recent lack or high cost of availability of such sand has led to not only various malpractices, but also the need to find an eco-friendly cost effective substitute. Theoretical concerns: (1) the continuation of sand mining leads to the death of water bodies (2) the complete substitution of riverbed sand with manufactured sand would lead to excessive quarrying and thereby death of mountains (3) the malpractices that may be the outcome of both these activities. The complete substitution would lead to hazardous environmental impact. Thereby, there is a need to provide for a balance between the use of both these sand in construction. Such balance, be it through the additional use of other substitutes, can be achieved only through a legislative approach. Summary of the concern: This paper provides for an understanding of the necessity of sand mining, its process, and the impact of the same to the environment. The paper examines the effect of lack of availability of riverbed sand or rather, the high cost of availability of the same due to the ill-effects of excessive mining. It goes on to investigate the various cases in which such high cost of availability has resulted in malpractices in construction by various Developers, in particular, the instances of using filtered sand for construction which have resulted in structural deficiencies and in many cases collapse of the structure. In such cases, it is usually the public who is affected, be it as a victim of the collapse of the structure or as the investor in the project. This paper examines the various substitutes that may be used for sand, in particular, manufactured sand. It is also called crushed stone sand or artificial sand. The paper provides for a comprehensive understanding of the process manufacture of such sand, its properties, justifies its substitutability, and examines the pros and cons of the same. One of the problems that the paper focuses on is the aspect that manufactured sand may also have its own adverse effects on the environment, namely, increase in quarrying and the disappearance of mountains and hills in the process. Finally, this paper attempts to suggest the possible provisions of such legislation after the examination of various decisions of the Supreme Court, National Green Tribunal, and Committee Reports. Research methodology A doctrinal method of research purely based on various published articles in journals, newspapers, magazines, and books has been employed to achieve the purpose of this paper in accordance with the objectives of the Conference. Main arguments (1) There is an increasing need to substitute riverbed sand in order to protect water bodies and groundwater. This is evidenced by the various decisions of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal to protect water bodies from the harmful effects of sand mining. Further, it is also evidenced by various articles in newspapers and magazines increasing the awareness about the problems and harms that can be attributed to sand mining. (2) The lack or high cost of availability of sand has led to malpractices such as the use of filtered sand evidenced by reported instances of structure collapse. (3) Manufactured sand, when used in the right proportion with riverbed sand or other substitutes helps achieve sustainable construction practice which has been evidenced by articles by various scholars.