Infrastructure

Sand Shortage in Mangaluru Adds ₹2 Lakh to Cost of Building a House

  • by- Zaid
  • Apr 18, 2026
With the onset of the monsoon expected to halt construction activity soon, builders and contractors in Mangaluru are scrambling to procure sand amid an acute shortage that has significantly pushed up construction costs.
Sand Shortage in Mangaluru Adds ₹2 Lakh to Cost of Building a House

Mangaluru, April 18: The cost of building a standard house has increased by nearly ₹2.25 lakh due to the spike in sand prices.

Price Comparison

Source Cost per cubic foot
CRZ areas (earlier) ₹20
Non-CRZ areas (current)        ₹70

A standard 2,500 sq ft house requires 15 loads of sand. With the per-load increase from ₹6,000-8,000 to ~₹21,000, costs rise by approximately ₹2.25 lakh.

Key Issues

  • Four-year ban on sand mining in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas

  • NGT yet to approve resumption of sand mining in CRZ regions

  • Sand from non-CRZ areas (Adyar, Uppinangady, Puttur) is coarser and less ideal, leading to nearly 50% wastage

  • SandBazaar app (for ordering from non-CRZ regions) is now defunct

  • M-sand supply covers only up to 40% of requirement; quality issues persist

Contractor Statements

Satish Jogi, Vice-President of Civil Contractors Association: Sand shortage has persisted for the last three to four years.

Ujwal D'Souza, Past Chairman of Association of Consulting Civil Engineers: "Sand that earlier cost Rs 20 per cubic foot from CRZ areas is now sourced from non-CRZ regions at Rs 70 per cubic foot."

Mahabala Kottary, President of Civil Contractors Association: "About 40% of the construction cost goes in taxes."