Pune: Bitumen Shortage Hits Road Repairs, PMC Turns to Kochi for Asphalt
Pune, 18th July 2026: A sharp rise in global crude oil prices and the resulting spike in bitumen costs have triggered a shortage of hot mix in Pune, disrupting pothole repairs and forcing the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to source asphalt from as far as Kochi, significantly increasing transportation costs.
The shortage has hit the PMC’s Yerawada hot-mix plant, with civic officials saying regular supplies from Mumbai have become scarce. As a result, the civic body has turned to suppliers in Kochi, nearly 1,200 km away, where each truckload of asphalt costs around Rs 40,000 to transport to Pune, compared to Rs 7,000-8,000 per truck from Mumbai.
The supply crunch comes at a critical time, with the PMC preparing to undertake routine monsoon road repairs while also gearing up to develop nearly 135 km of roads for the upcoming Pune Grand Tour international cycling race.
The civic body has earmarked Rs 75 crore for road repairs and pothole filling this year, floating three separate tenders worth Rs 25 crore each. However, activists alleged that poor planning by the administration had worsened the situation, saying the PMC should have expanded its storage capacity and strengthened infrastructure to ensure an uninterrupted supply of raw materials.
The road repair programme has also undergone an administrative change. A decentralised system introduced a few months ago had made the city’s 15 ward offices responsible for repairs in their respective jurisdictions, with each allocated Rs 3.5 crore. However, several ward offices either failed to issue tenders or could not complete the process, delaying repair works. The PMC has now shifted the responsibility back to its central road department, which has floated fresh tenders.
The bitumen shortage has surfaced even as the PMC prepares a major road upgradation project for the Pune Grand Tour cycling event. The civic body plans to develop 135 km of roads, including 83 km of new stretches and improvements to 52 km of existing roads. The estimates committee has approved a preliminary outlay of Rs 168 crore, with tenders expected to be floated shortly and work scheduled to begin in August.
Officials said the cycling race project is unlikely to be affected by the bitumen shortage as the work will be executed by private contractors, who will arrange their own supply of asphalt. Separately, the PMC has allocated Rs 1,800 crore for road development in its annual budget to strengthen the city’s road network and construct new roads.
