Building materials, its availability and real estate develop

[SusanDirk]

One aspect that is being witnessed in the key urban centers is that due to the proliferation of the apartment culture, the availability of high quality building materials is decreasing continuously. Along with such a trend the cost of such high quality building materials is now sky rocketing putting intense pressure on the profit margins of major real estate developers who always adhere to certain quality standards. When considering the developments in ]Real Estate Trivandrum city is witnessing a rapid escalation in input costs mainly due to the fact that the necessary building materials have to be imported from other far off destinations

Analysts have always recommended the entry of the government owned public sector to set right this anomaly. The Public sector has to promote:
(i) The use of low-cost, low-energy consuming, locally available building materials and also the recycling of agricultural, industrial and other wastes
(ii) The use of low-cost, alternative and new building materials in housing;
(iii) The use of factory-made building materials and components and adoption of innovative technologies and
(iv) The setting up of building materials manufacturing and distribution centers and other allied industries.

The distribution of building materials and components at a reasonable rate with adequate provision for technical know-how is therefore the responsibility of the public sector. During the days of the controlled economy, the public sector undertakings did have a major say in the production and marketing of high quality building materials. Highly durable raw and finished building materials were thus made available to the common man at affordable rates. But in recent times, the public sector has totally exited this sector.