PATNA, Dec. 23 -- The supply of fine Ganga sand - popularly known as white sand - has hit bottlenecks as a result of the rackdown on illegal mining or delay in clearing post-monsoon settlements, resulting in constructions in Patna stuck and making builders and contractors worried about their projects.

A load of 100 cubic feet of Ganga sand is now priced at around Rs.3,500 in the local market, a rate that has climbed to match or even exceed that of coarser red sand, which is traditionally costlier. Last year, a tractor load of white sand used to cost in the range of Rs.1,500-2,000. This unusual parity has forced many small-scale builders to either delay projects or pass on the extra burden to homebuyers.

The root of the problem lies alon...