Bitumen Crisis Paralyzes Road Construction in Panipat
Road projects spanning 283.8 km and valued at Rs 266.65 crore in Panipat district have come to a grinding halt due to an acute shortage of bitumen, a critical petroleum by-product used in road construction. Officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) attribute the supply crunch to escalating tensions in West Asia, which have disrupted imports and domestic production.
Major Projects Stalled
The worst-hit are two major road works in the Israna constituency covering 39.24 km and worth Rs 95.96 crore. These include the 24-km four-laning of the Panipat-Safidon road (SH-14), estimated at Rs 86.96 crore, and the 15.24-km Jagsi-Safidon stretch of the Meerut-Sonepat-Gohana-Safidon road, valued at Rs 9 crore. Additionally, road projects covering 115.19 km and worth Rs 84.70 crore in Israna have been stalled.
In Panipat constituency, works over 64.30 km costing Rs 56.64 crore are affected, while Samalkha constituency sees 65 km of projects worth Rs 29.35 crore put on hold. Many of these projects were nearing completion before the shortage hit.
Supply Chain Disruption
A senior PWD official noted that bitumen, a by-product of crude oil refining, was readily available before the West Asia tensions escalated. Much of the supply was imported from Middle Eastern countries, but the conflict has severely hampered availability. Efforts to procure bitumen from domestic refineries in Panipat, Bathinda, and Mathura have yielded little success, as production has nearly stopped.
PWD B&R Executive Engineer Savit Pannu stated, "We have been trying to procure bitumen from the refineries at Panipat, Bathinda and Mathura, but production is almost nil. As a result, we are not getting the required supply." He added that the department is exploring imports, but the procurement timeline remains uncertain.
Impact on Infrastructure
The shortage has not only stalled ongoing projects but also halted works that were on the verge of completion. The disruption threatens to delay critical road infrastructure in the district, impacting connectivity and economic activity. The PWD is exploring all avenues, but no immediate relief is in sight as the West Asia crisis continues.
