Fresh supply of sand has not started in the state even after the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) gave environmental clearance to 41 proposals on March 3.

This has further aggravated the sand crisis in the state, severely affecting construction activities for over a month now. Big infrastructure projects have been stalled ever since the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued a restrictive order, on February 9, on sand mining in the state.

"Work on all flyover projects in the city is suspended, as there is no fresh supply of sand for more than three weeks now," said a senior engineer in Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL). "We read newspaper reports about environment clearance to mining, but sand supply has not resumed yet."

In a meeting on Sunday, 51 new proposals for sand mining were cleared taking the overall tally to 92 clearings.

As per a ministry of environment, forest and climate change notification, issued on January 15, environmental clearance by a district-level environment impact assessment authority is now a must for mining of minor minerals. However, the district-level authorities are still to be formed in the state.

Later on January 19, the NGT issued an order stating that mining, distribution and transportation of minor minerals, including sand, would remain completely prohibited in Bihar till issuance of environmental clearance for the same. On February 9, chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh forwarded the same order to all district magistrates and superintendents of police, to implement complete prohibition on sand mining and trade with immediate effect.

On March 3, after consulting with the advocate general of Bihar, SEIAA cleared 41 proposals for sand-mining in areas less than 25 hectares in size. Earlier, on February 21, the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) - the technical committee of SEIAA - had at its meeting taken up 51 proposals for environmental clearance. Of the 51 proposals, it recommended 46 for approval by the core committee of SEIAA. The latter gave its consent to 41 proposals.

"We have even issued notification for environmental clearance to the 41 proposals," said SEIAA chairman R.C. Sinha. "Copies of the notification have been sent to Bihar State Pollution Control Board and mines commissioner of the state."

Sinha added that sand mining would commence only after consent to operate is issued for the respective proposals.

Senior state government officials said projects like the approach road for Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge, three flyovers around Patna Junction, Digha-AIIMS elevated highway, Bailey road multi-junctional intersection project and Bihar Police Bhavan among others have been completely stalled because of the sand crisis.

Suspension of works on infrastructure projects apart, short supply of sand has also led to astronomical rise in its price.

"Per tractor cost of Sone sand has increased from Rs 2,500 on normal days to Rs 8,000 at present," said a sand seller at Rajiv Nagar.