The use of local sand to construct homes and other buildings in Grenada could soon become a practice of the past. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell in an address last week Thursday to commemorate the second anniversary of Hurricane Ivan which devastated the island on September 7, 2004

Dr Mitchell said that Grenada could soon be importing land-based sand from outside sources and that government will ban permanently the use of beach sand. He stated that the use of local sand has to be given careful consideration in light of the destruction of local beaches.

The Prime Minister indicated that the decision to import sand into the country is in keeping with the "build back better" campaign of the New National Party (NNP) administration. A large portion of the island's housing stock was destroyed by Ivan, the first major hurricane to hit the island in nearly 50 years.

Prime Minister Mitchell also said that the building code needs to be re prioritised in Grenada. He insisted that the materials used to construct buildings on the island need to be an area of concentration, adding that using beach sand and salt sand for construction is not the best.

In this regards, he said the government intends to move in the direction of "sand importing" from outside the country. Dr. Mitchell stressed that the protection of the environment is one of the reasons influencing the decision coupled with the need to build facilities better.

He said the use of the building code has been re-prioritised by government and the population needs to be reminded of the need to "build back better". A local company involving a group of St. George's businessmen is known to have written to government a few years ago seeking permission to import sand from a regional country.