Kathmandu, June 25 -- Shailung Construction, a contractor working on the widening of the Kalanki-Nagdhunga road is finding it hard to blacktop the widened part of the road at Thankot, opposite the police post for the last two weeks due to shortage of bitumen.

Bitumen is a black viscous mixture of hydrocarbons obtained naturally or as a residue from petroleum distillation. Bitumen is exclusively used as a binder in road construction and maintenance.

"We have run out of bitumen stocks. The shortage of the construction material, along with rainfalls has caused the delay in blacktopping the widened 250-metre section of road," said Ramesh Subedi, director of Shailung Construction. "We hope to get the required amount of bitumen from Nepal Bit...