NMC Lines Up 60,000 Tonnes of Bitumen; Asphalting of 16 Major Kumbh Roads to Start Within Days

The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) is about to start asphalting 16 major roads built for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela. The Times of India reported this on 16 October 2026, quoting municipal commissioner Manisha Khatri by name. The commissioner's statements are on record.

What NMC has said

• Asphalting of the Kumbh roads is expected to begin in the next few days, Khatri said.
• NMC expects about 60,000 tonnes of bitumen in phases from the public sector oil companies BPCL, HPCL and IOCL, starting this month. The contractors working on the Kumbh roads will place the orders.
• NMC has written to the three companies asking them to cut delivery time from four days to two days after an order is placed.
• NMC has begun inspecting contractors' asphalt plants and stone crushers and has asked for changes where needed.
• March 2027 is the deadline for completing the road works.

The bigger picture

According to TOI, NMC is developing nearly 31 roads covering about 150 km, at an estimated cost of ₹1,400 crore. About 40% of this will be cement concrete; the rest is bituminous and needs large quantities of bitumen. NMC started arranging supply through the state government in July, after a bitumen shortage in May and June. An unnamed NMC official told TOI that the shortage was linked to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

What changes from our earlier report

On 4 October we reported, from Swarajya, that 18 major roads were under construction and asphalting would pick up from November. NMC now speaks of 16 major roads, with asphalting due to start within days. The sources do not explain the difference in the number of roads, so we report both. See our 4 October report.

For visitors

Expect asphalting work and diversions on major Nashik roads over the coming months. Allow extra travel time, and see How to reach Nashik.

Related: Kumbh status board, Kumbh dates.