Hot Mix Plant (HMP) of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has become the first casualty of the ongoing fuel crisis that led to restrictions on bulk sale. The bitumen processing facility has stopped functioning since last two days, dealing a massive hit to seasonal civic maintenance. Especially before monsoon, the HMP has a major task of filling-up potholes and at the crucial juncture, its operations stand paralysed. New fuel procurement regulations limiting direct fueling access have brought production to an absolute standstill. It now threatens to stall critical road restoration projects across the city. The issue stems from a structural shift in fuel supply rules. Previously, the department relied heavily on direct Light Diesel Oil (LDO) and specialised commercial container shipments sourced directly from major refineries at a structured tender rate of Rs 72 per litre.

 

However, severe container transport limits have cut off this supply chain, forcing a sudden reliance on standard retail-grade fuel priced at nearly Rs 98 per litre. Worse still, local delivery constraints have driven actual operational costs to an exorbitant Rs 135 per litre by the time fuel reaches the site. A senior official from the department detailed the operational impact of this deadlock. “Our entire mix production relies on consistency. The plant is completely closed because we cannot secure bulk fuel shipments via our usual containers.

 

However, the shift from LDO towards normal diesel remains non-effective because the prices of both fuel is approximately same due to the new rule. We consume 250 to 300 litres of diesel daily to run our main processing facility, heavy tippers, road rollers, and JCBs. While there is no structural damage to our machines, they cannot operate without fuel.” The immediate casualty of this fuel crunch is the city’s pre-monsoon road fortification plan. Key processes like preparing Bituminous Concrete (BC) and specialised pothole-filling mixes require precise high-temperature heating, which can only be achieved live on-site. Because these components cannot be prepared cold, the department’s ongoing pothole eradication drives have ceased. While a high-level administrative meeting was recently convened to break the deadlock and explore direct linkages with oil marketing corporations, a definitive resolution remains up in the air. Until fuel lines open up, the city’s repair fleets remain grounded.