The infrastructure construction sector across the country has been affected by the import of petroleum products due to tensions between the US, Israel and Iran. Work on road projects has come to a standstill due to shortage of raw materials and high prices. Construction entrepreneurs have started laying off workers in some projects. 

The blacktop work on the Nagdhunga-Naubise road section has been stalled for two weeks. The blacktop work was stopped after the bitumen (a material made from petroleum products used in blacktop) ran out after the second layer of blacktop work was completed and the final layer of blacktop work was about to begin. The blacktop work on this section was ready to be completed before the start of the monsoon. Blacktop work will not be done after the monsoon starts. 

According to Keshav Prasad Ojha, head of the eastern section of the Nagdhunga-Muglin Road Project, there are also problems in the work on the Naubise-Malekhu and Malekhu-Muglin sections. "After the bitumen ran out during the work, the old road that was demolished for blacktopping in the Naubise-Malekhu section has been blocked," he said. "Currently, 5,000 tons of bitumen are needed for blacktopping." 

The work on the rapidly expanding Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road under the Araniko Highway has also been affected by the shortage of bitumen. As the pace of work has increased, the budget allocated for the current fiscal year has been exhausted and additional funds were demanded. Currently, the blacktopping work towards Dhulikhel is at a standstill. 

Only in the Suryabinayak-Sanga section, 900 meters of road have been blacktopped using the available bitumen, informed Bijay Kumar Mahato, head of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road project. The expansion work on the 7.5-km Suryabinayak-Sanga and 8.3-km Sanga-Dhulikhel sections was started in Poush 2079. ‘Work was being done at a fast pace, we also got the budget as requested,’ said Project Chief Mahato, ‘The target was to complete the first layer of blacktop in the current fiscal year, but we are now facing the problem of bitumen shortage.’

The target was to blacktop 6 kilometers of roads in the current fiscal year on the national pride Kathmandu-Terai/Madhes Fast Track (Fast Track), which is being constructed under the management of the Nepali Army. But the army has stated that the work has been affected by the shortage of bitumen. The army says that other works have also been affected by the shortage of construction materials and price increases. The total distance of the fast track is 70.977 km. 

Bitumen in Nepal mainly comes from India. According to the Customs Department, 86.958 million 560 kg of bitumen worth 6.38 billion 500 million rupees has been imported from India, Malaysia and the UAE in the first 8 months of the current fiscal year. During the same period of the last fiscal year, 64.274 million kg of bitumen worth Rs 4.476 billion was imported from India, Malaysia and Oman. Although the data till Falgun shows that bitumen imports have increased, there is a shortage in the market. Construction entrepreneurs say that they have not been able to get bitumen even when they are ready to pay a higher price. 

158.56933 kg of bitumen worth Rs 11.413 billion was imported from India. The highest amount of bitumen worth Rs 10.86 billion was imported from India. Bitumen worth Rs 270 million was imported from Malaysia, Rs 270 million from Oman and Rs 290 million from Indonesia.

Shivahari Ghimire, General Secretary of the Federation of Nepal Builders and Contractors, said that if the government does not adjust the prices immediately, there will definitely be a 'construction holiday'. 'The prices of fuel and other materials used in construction have increased by 60 to 65 percent,' he said, 'Construction entrepreneurs cannot bear this price increase. If the price of construction materials cannot be adjusted within a week, there is no option but to extend the project deadline and go on construction holiday.'

General Secretary Ghimire said that construction-friendly laws should be made by removing the inconvenient provisions in the Procurement Act. According to him, projects worth about 800 million are currently underway across the country. Construction work has been affected in all these projects. There are 2 million direct and indirect jobs in the construction sector. General Secretary Ghimire said that the projects have started reducing the number of workers. 

50 road projects affected in Lumbini alone 

50 road projects, both small and large, in Lumbini Province have been affected due to the increase in fuel prices and bitumen shortage. According to construction entrepreneurs, the price of bitumen, which used to be available at Rs 80 to 84 per kg, has now increased to Rs 150. Entrepreneurs say that they have not been able to purchase bitumen even at the increased price.

Vice President of the Federation of Construction Entrepreneurs, Sahadev Khadka, said that entrepreneurs will not be able to work if the price of bitumen continues to increase like this. "How can we afford the increased price for contracts that were agreed upon when it was 80 to 84 rupees per kilogram?" he said. "Even that is not available."

The main season for bitumen import is from Falgun to Jestha. Since it is cold in Poush and Magh, businessmen do not buy bitumen. After that, the time of bitumen import was affected by the tension in West Asia. According to Lumbini Province's Physical Infrastructure Development Minister Bhumishwar Dhakal, the Butwal-Gorusinghe, Butwal-Narayangadh roads, Palpa and Baglung sections under the Kaligandaki Corridor, Saljhandi-Dhorpatan section under the Mid-Hill Highway, Gulmi section under the Madanbhandari Highway, and Shantipur-Bhanjyang-Aapchaur section in Gulmi have been affected. Among the projects of provincial pride, work on the Rampur to Kapurkot road section in Palpa, Arghakhanchi and Palpa areas, and Rudrabeni-Bamitaksar section in Gulmi are also at a standstill. "There were preparations for blacktop in some sections," Dhakal said. "Now, construction entrepreneurs are complaining about price hikes and bitumen shortages." 

Preparations are underway for blacktopping of 8 kilometers of roads in the Kapilvastu area and 2 kilometers in the Rupandehi section of the Butwal-Gorusinghe road section. However, the work has been stopped due to the shortage of bitumen, said Kushalata Neupane, chief engineer of the Butwal-Gorusinghe road section project. ‘Earlier, it was affected due to the lack of river-based construction materials, now the blacktopping work has not been able to be done due to the shortage of bitumen,’ she said. ‘Now, businessmen are not in a position to get bitumen even if they pay a higher price.’ She informed that the increase in fuel prices is also affecting this road section. 

Bitumen is mostly imported from India in the country. Big businessmen bring it from Gulf countries. The price of bitumen imported from India was 90 rupees per kg a month ago. It has now crossed Rs 160. It used to be cheaper by Rs 10 per kg when imported from the Gulf countries. 

Paritosh Gupta, a bitumen businessman and owner of Pioneer Nepal, said that the import of bitumen from the Gulf countries has come to a standstill. He has been supplying bitumen throughout Nepal. ‘There has also been an 80 percent reduction in bitumen coming from India now,’ he said. He said that almost no businessman in the country has any bitumen stock. 

The main season for importing bitumen is from Falgun to Jestha. Since it is cold in Poush and Magh, businessmen do not buy bitumen. After that, the time of importing bitumen has been affected by tensions in West Asia. 

Businessmen say that India is not able to meet its own production and there is a problem in importing from Iran, which is causing a shortage in the international market. According to Renu Prasad Pandey, owner of Annapurna Enterprises, which imports bitumen from India, India fixes the price of bitumen on the 15th of every month. Accordingly, the price of bitumen in the Indian market has been fixed at Nepali Rs 150 on Wednesday. Pandey said that it is not possible to import it as the transportation cost will be more than Rs 160 when added to it. ‘Construction entrepreneurs have not demanded bitumen even after the price has doubled,’ he said, ‘Even when they demand it in the Indian market, it has not been available.’ 

Khadka, Vice President of the Federation of Construction Entrepreneurs, said that to solve the problem, the government and the concerned bodies should improve supply management, look for alternative sources and tighten market monitoring. ‘Now, to speed up the construction sector, the government should decide to make customs duty on raw materials like iron and bitumen zero and remove internal taxes,’ he said. 

According to Rauniyar, entrepreneurs in the district are in a position to either operate or close the crusher industry due to inflation. He also said that the government is discriminating against small businesses by adjusting prices in contracts signed by large construction entrepreneurs. Vice President Khadka said that the increase in diesel prices has made construction equipment and operating expenses up to 70 percent more expensive. According to him, even the existing price adjustment system is not able to sustain the increasing costs. ‘In such a situation, small construction entrepreneurs are even more affected, and it is becoming difficult for big entrepreneurs to continue working,’ Khadka said. 

Following the unnatural price increase and shortage of construction materials, construction entrepreneurs in Rupandehi have declared an emergency and demanded price adjustment. They have drawn the government's attention to this issue through the Chief District Officer. Pritam Rauniyar, acting president of the Lumbini Construction Entrepreneurs Association, Rupandehi, said that the government should declare an emergency in the construction industry and provide relief to entrepreneurs. "The contract period should be extended by adjusting the increasing price increase, otherwise the entrepreneurs have no option but to withdraw from the contract," he said.

According to Rauniyar, entrepreneurs in the district are in a position to either operate or close the crusher industry due to inflation. He also said that the government is discriminating against small businesses by adjusting prices in contracts signed by large construction entrepreneurs.

Lumbini Province Vice President of the Construction Entrepreneurs Association Nawaraj Shrestha said that if the government is to take action against entrepreneurs if they do not work as per the agreement, then first, construction materials should be easily available and guidelines for price adjustment should be issued immediately. According to the Lumbini Construction Entrepreneurs Association, government projects worth 30 billion rupees are being operated in the district this year. 150 construction entrepreneurs are involved in them. About 20,000 workers are working in all the projects. 

The impact of the price increase has also been felt in ongoing projects in Palpa. Entrepreneurs have started cutting workers. Entrepreneurs have stopped blacktopping work by showing price increases. The target was to blacktopping 20 kilometers of the Gaindakot-Ramdi-Maldhunga section of the national pride Kaligandaki Corridor in the current year. So far, only 3 kilometers have been blacktopping.

According to the head of the corridor project, Shivlal Dahal, the problem is that construction entrepreneurs are unable to transfer cash due to the price increase. Currently, a contract has been signed for the upgrading of 72 kilometers of roads under the project. Rajendra KC, general secretary of the Palpa Construction Entrepreneurs Association, said that businesses that were working with 50/60 workers until a month ago are now having to work with 5/7 workers. ‘We have reached a situation where we cannot get work done,’ he said. If the situation continues for a few more days, the construction projects in Palpa will come to a standstill, said Damodar Gaire, president of the association. 

Work is also being stopped in Karnali

Jumla-based Khadka and Sons Construction had won a contract to blacktop the Tadi-Timure section of the Karnali Highway for about Rs 85 million last December. According to the agreement, the work should be completed by mid-Ashar. ‘If we don’t work, we are afraid that we will not be paid for the work done. If we work, we will have to reduce the work by 10-15 percent and the contracts we have signed will be completely lost,’ said Ankit Khadka, managing director of the company. According to Khadka, there is also a shortage of gravel and stones to work on the Kalikot section.

According to the Road Division Office, Jumla, 17 out of 21 contracts have been signed this year. ‘We have to bring crushed gravel from Jumla,’ he said, ‘A tipper can only make one trip in a day, let alone the price of other construction materials.’ The company has won a contract for the Nagma-Rachuli road for Rs 44 million in December. Khadka said that the work there has been delayed due to the skyrocketing price of construction materials.

Bitumen for road blacktop is transported from Nepalgunj to Kalikot. ‘Bitumen has become expensive here, and fuel prices have increased there,’ Khadka said, ‘Since we have to transport it ourselves, our backs are getting tired.’ According to him, OPC cement, which was available for Rs 1,050 per bag two months ago, has increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,175, and rods, which were available for Rs 95 per kg, have reached Rs 1,215. He said that even when people are ready to pay the high price, it is difficult to get the goods.

सडक डिभिजन कार्यालय जुम्लाका अनुसार यो वर्ष २१ वटामध्ये १७ वटा ठेक्का सम्झौता भएका छन् । कर्णाली राजमार्गमा मात्रै झन्डै २५ करोड रुपैयाँका विभिन्न काम भइरहे पनि अधिकांश निर्माण व्यवसायीले काममा ढिलाइ गरिरहेको कार्यालयका सूचना अधिकारी सौरभकुमार सिंहले जानकारी दिए । उनका अनुसार काममा आलटाल गरेपछि ११ चैतमा १० वटा ठेक्का तोडिएको छ । चार निर्माण कम्पनीसँग ‘ठेक्का अन्त्य गरी कारबाही किन नगर्ने ?’ भनी सार्वजनिक सूचना प्रकाशन गरिएको छ ।

सिँचाइतर्फको राष्ट्रिय गौरवको भेरी–बबई डाइभर्सन बहुउद्देश्यीय आयोजनामा पनि निर्माण सामग्रीको अभावमा काम रोकिने जोखिम बढेको छ । ‘निर्माण सामग्री एक साताका लागि त होला,’ आयोजनाका सिनियर डिभिजनल इन्जिनियर हरिबहादुर थापाले भने, ‘एक त ठेकेदारका कारण काममा समस्या परेको थियो, अब निर्माण सामग्रीले काम रोकिएला जस्तो भयो ।’ उनका अनुसार दोस्रो चरणअन्तर्गत सिभिलतर्फको काममा लामो समयदेखि ढिलाइ भइरहेको छ । जसका लागि रमण कन्स्ट्रक्सन र चीनको ग्वाङ्डोन–युनाटियन जेभीले साउन ०७६ मा ६ अर्ब १६ करोड ५२ लाख रुपैयाँमा ठेक्का लिएको थियो ।

‘२० चैतमा तेस्रो म्याद सकियो, मुस्किलले प्रगति ५७ प्रतिशत पुर्‍याएको छ, अहिले चौथो पटक म्याद थपका लागि अनुरोध गरेको छ, मुख्य कारण निर्माण सामग्रीको महँगी र अभाव भनिएको छ,’ थापाले भने, ‘कति समयका लागि म्याद थप गर्ने भनेर फाइल अध्ययन गरिरहेका छौं ।’

अहिले आयोजनामा सिभिल, इलेक्ट्रिकल र हाइड्रो इलेक्ट्रिकल गरी तीनवटाको काम भइरहेको छ । समग्र आयोजनामा करिब ६९ प्रतिशत मात्र भौतिक प्रगति छ । सुरुङ (टनेल) निर्माण सकिएको छ । सिभिल निर्माणको काम ५७ प्रतिशत, हाइड्रोमेकानिकल ३९ प्रतिशत, इलेक्ट्रोमेकानिकल ३० प्रतिशत र प्रसारण लाइन निर्माणमा ५ प्रतिशत भौतिक प्रगति भएको सूचना अधिकारी थापाले जानकारी दिए । सुरुमा ३३ अर्ब लाग्ने अनुमान गरिएको आयोजनाको लागत निर्माण अवधि लम्बिँदै जाँदा झन्डै ४५ अर्ब पुग्ने अनुमान गरिएको छ । सरकारले आर्थिक वर्ष ०६८/६९ मा सुरु गर्ने भनिएको आयोजना ०७१/७२ मा मात्र सुरु गरिएको थियो । अहिले सकिने समय आर्थिक वर्ष ०८४/८५ सम्म पुर्‍याइएको छ ।

राष्ट्रिय गौरवको मध्यपहाडी राजमार्गको जाजरकोट खण्डमा निर्माण सामग्री अभावले काम प्रभावित भएको छ । जाजरकोट खण्डको ८५ किलोमिटरमध्ये मन्ताभीरसहित ३५ किलोमिटर कालोपत्र गर्न बाँकी छ । सडक कालोपत्र गर्ने जिम्मा शर्मा–सिंह एन्ड ब्रदर्श जेभीले ४५ करोड रुपैयाँमा लिएको हो ।

निर्माण कम्पनीले लामो समयदेखि अलपत्र पारेको काम ६ महिनादेखि अगाडि बढाए पनि अहिले निर्माण सामग्री अभावले प्रभावित बनेको मध्यपहाडी राजमार्ग आयोजना कार्यालय दैलेखका सूचना अधिकारी नवीन खरालले बताए । ‘बीचमा कामको गति बढेको थियो,’ उनले भने, ‘अहिले निर्माण व्यवसायीलाई बहाना बनाउन पनि सजिलो भयो, काम गर्नै समस्या छ ।’ उनका अनुसार निर्माण सामग्रीको महँगीका कारण कुदु–स्याउली खोलासम्मको १७ किमि, १८ किमिको स्याउलेखोला–कार्कीगाउँ, कार्कीगाउँ–मन्ताभीरको १० किमि सडकको कालोपत्रको काम सक्न समस्या भएको हो ।

कर्णाली प्रदेशको भौतिक पूर्वाधार तथा सहरी विकास मन्त्रालयले यो वर्ष ९३ वटा बहुवर्षीय ठेक्का लगाएको थियो । निर्माण सामग्री अभावकै कारण ती ठेक्कामा कामले गति लिन सकेको छैन । मन्त्रालयका प्रवक्ता रमेश सुवेदीले ठूला आयोजनाले गति नलिँदा बजेट खर्चमा समस्या भएको बताए । उनका अनुसार मन्त्रालयमा १० अर्ब ७३ करोड रुपैयाँ बजेट रहेकामा आर्थिक वर्ष सकिन ३ महिना बाँकी हुँदा मुस्किलले पुँजीगत खर्च २० प्रतिशत मात्र भएको छ । ‘बजेट खर्चको पिक आवरमै समस्या देखियो,’ सुवेदीले भने, ‘यही वर्ष सक्नुपर्ने योजना पनि कुनै पनि सकिएका छैनन्, बहुवर्षीयमा पनि लक्ष्यअनुसार काम हुने छाँटकाँट नै छैन ।’ मन्त्रालयले यो वर्ष ५ सय २१ योजनामा रकम विनियोजन गरेको छ । जसमध्ये झन्डै एक सय नयाँ योजना हुन् ।