Surge in prices of buliding materials hits construction industry in Coimbatore, ET RealEstate
COIMBATORE: The construction industry in Coimbatore is reeling under the impact of soaring prices of essential building materials such as blue metal, M Sand, and P Sand.
Although the Tamil Nadu Stone Quarry, Crusher, and Lorry Owners Association agreed with the state govt on April 27 to reduce the prices of these materials by ₹1,000 per unit, the reduction was not implemented, said D Abhishek, convenor of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which comprises CREDAI, BAI, CEBACA, CODCEA, COCENA, and SUCENA.
The JAC alleged that quarry and crusher owners deliberately curtailed production to create artificial scarcity and drive-up prices. The committee urged authorities to restore the previous pricing structure.
Six organisations—Builders’ Association of India (BAI), Coimbatore Builders and Contractors Association (CEBACA), Coimbatore Civil Engineers Association (COCENA), Coimbatore District All Civil Engineers Association (CODCEA), Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI), and Sulur Civil Engineers Association (SUCENA)—have formed the JAC to collectively take up the issue with authorities.
“A few months ago, the per unit costs of blue metal, M Sand, and P Sand stood at ₹3,000, ₹3,600, and ₹4,200, respectively. Now, the prices suddenly surged to ₹5,000, ₹6,000, and ₹7,000 per unit,” said representatives of JAC.
As a result of this price hike, the costs of ready-mix concrete, paver blocks, fly ash bricks, hollow blocks, solid blocks, and all types of precast products have also increased.
“The steep increase in material costs has significantly impacted the construction industry, leading to cost overruns, delays in project execution, and displacement of the workforce. Builders, contractors, civil engineers, and real estate developers are all bearing the brunt of the inflated prices,” Abhishek added.
He also urged the formation of a dedicated regulatory authority—like the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA)—to monitor and regulate the prices of construction materials to ensure they remain at reasonable levels.
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