Bengaluru’s roadwork has slowed sharply after a Tamil Nadu restriction on the interstate movement of construction materials disrupted supplies of jelly stones, M-Sand and stone dust to the city. Road resurfacing, white-topping and pothole-filling projects have reportedly faced shortages for around 10 days, while the Greater Bengaluru Authority has asked contractors to find alternative sources.
The disruption follows a Tamil Nadu government decision to temporarily stop the movement of construction materials to other states, including Karnataka. The restriction is reported to apply for three months and affects supplies from border districts such as Krishnagiri, which have been a major source of jelly stones, crushed stone, M-Sand and related materials for Bengaluru’s road and infrastructure projects.
According to the report, the Tamil Nadu government imposed the restriction to first meet demand within the state before allowing supplies to move across state borders. The decision also followed complaints that material suppliers were creating an artificial shortage and contributing to price increases. The reported restriction has consequently reduced the availability of materials reaching Bengaluru and increased the cost of those still available.
The immediate impact is being felt in projects undertaken by the Greater Bengaluru Authority, including road asphalting, white-topping and pothole repair. These works were already progressing slowly, and the material shortage has brought several projects close to a standstill, according to the report.
Contractors have informed civic authorities that supplies from Tamil Nadu are not arriving consistently and that prices have risen substantially. Engineers have also confirmed the disruption in material availability, the report said. The shortage affects not only the physical progress of road repairs but also the ability of contractors to maintain planned work schedules using the materials specified for ongoing projects.
A Greater Bengaluru Authority official quoted in the report said the supply situation was expected to improve within a week. “The material supply is not coming properly from Tamil Nadu and prices are also rising sharply,” the official said, adding that engineers had confirmed the problem. The official said contractors had been instructed to identify alternatives and give the affected works priority.
The episode exposes Bengaluru’s dependence on construction-material supply chains that cross state borders. Materials required for routine public works in the city are being affected by a policy decision taken outside Karnataka, while the reported absence of immediate replacement sources has placed road projects under pressure. The authority’s response is currently focused on finding alternative supply routes and restoring work within the stated timeline.
The next key development will be whether contractors can secure substitute sources and whether material availability improves within a week, as indicated by the Greater Bengaluru Authority official. The three-month interstate supply restriction in Tamil Nadu remains the central constraint affecting Bengaluru’s roadwork programme.
