Guwahati, May 20: The Assam Real Estate and Infrastructure Developers Association (Areida) today said construction projects in the state, mainly in Guwahati, had come to a standstill because of a shortage in the supply of stone chips.

Ban on quarrying of hill stones in Assam and a similar "clampdown" in neighbouring Meghalaya have been cited as the reasons for short supply of stone chips.

"Guwahati is bearing the maximum brunt of such a crisis and projects of all our members have come to a grinding halt because of the crisis," Areida president P.K. Sharma said in a statement here today. The association has nearly 100 construction companies as their members.

"The construction industry has been facing a shortage of stones and sand for more than a year now. Since many stone quarries in Assam were closed because blasting of stone hills was prohibited, we had to depend on Meghalaya for the bulk supply. But a similar clampdown in the neighbouring state has now created a serious crisis in the construction industry in the state," Sharma told The Telegraph.

"Some stone chips from river boulders are supplied in the market but those stone chips are inferior in quality. Use of such chips may compromise the quality of construction and we want to appeal people not to use such chips for construction," Sharma said.

The Areida had earlier requested the state forest department to ensure that the supply of construction material was not affected but no serious steps have been taken by the government to address the issue.