India's construction sector in the Kozhikode district has come to a grinding halt with the availability of all key building materials, including cement, severely hit by indefinite strikes called by various trade and construction industry associations.

Cement, crushed stone and laterite bricks have become hard to obtain due to the indefinite strike called by cement wholesalers and granite and laterite quarry owners from Thursday onwards.

Cement scarcities have risen since stockists stopped receiving new wagon loads from 1 November and truck load arrivals were suspended last week alleging harassment by taxmen and protesting the inclusion of cement under the Notified Goods category. Around 500 stockists and sub dealers in the district started their formal indefinite strike from Thursday.

Adding to the woes of home builders, the granite and crushed stone deliveries have also stopped as about 120 quarries have also started an indefinite shut down from Thursday. The laterite quarries have also joined the strike in protest against the Supreme Court directive making it mandatory to obtain NOCs from the Union ministry of environment and forests for their operations.

U V Chandran, Quarry Owners' Association Kozhikode unit president, said: "the implementation of the plan projects by the local government bodies will be the next casualty as the strikes in the sector will intensify in the coming days".