Road tarring and maintenance work across Himachal Pradesh has slowed this season as a steep rise in bitumen prices has created fresh challenges for the Public Works Department (PWD). The situation has affected road repair projects across the state, with many contractors reportedly reluctant to participate in tenders due to increasing construction costs.
According to information available with the department, the price of bitumen has increased to nearly ₹82 per kilogram, almost double the ₹42 per kilogram rate recorded last year. The sharp hike has widened the gap between project costs and contractor payments, making several road works financially unviable.
Every year, the summer season witnesses large-scale tarring and repair work on roads across Himachal Pradesh. However, this year, the rising cost of raw materials has severely affected the pace of maintenance and resurfacing works. Contractors are reportedly avoiding new projects as they fear losses due to escalating prices.
The slowdown has added to the problems already being faced by commuters in the state, where a large number of roads are in poor condition. In many rural areas, roads have become dilapidated due to delayed maintenance and lack of timely repair work. Several stretches have developed potholes and damaged surfaces, causing inconvenience to residents and affecting transportation.
Even roads within Shimla city continue to face problems of potholes and damaged patches, raising concerns among residents and motorists. The condition of roads has become a recurring issue, especially after prolonged delays in maintenance work over the past several months.
The Public Works Department is now finding it difficult to complete road improvement projects within scheduled timelines. The issue has also become a concern for the state government due to the large dependence of hill areas on road connectivity for transportation, tourism and movement of essential goods.
Vikramaditya Singh said the issue has been discussed in detail with Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. He said the matter regarding the steep increase in bitumen prices has also been raised with the Central Government.
According to the minister, a proposal has been sent to the Centre seeking special measures to control the rising prices of bitumen and provide relief to states facing difficulties in executing road projects. The government hopes that intervention at the central level will help reduce pressure on infrastructure works and allow pending maintenance projects to resume at full pace.
