Coal crisis: Cement price set to go up

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, October 11

The cement price is set to go up with the price of coal, which is a key raw material, registering an exponential rise in the last about four months.

While shortage of coal is plaguing the markets, the price of imported coal too has risen given its overwhelming demand.

Harish Aggarwal, founder and promoter of Asian Cements and Concretes, said, “We are facing energy crisis following hike in the prices of diesel, oil and coal.”

“The price of imported coal has risen from about $485 per tonne to about $1100 per tonne in the last few months. The price of diesel has also increased substantially. This has enhanced the cost of cement production which will jack up the cost of cement by at least Rs 25 per bag soon,” he said.

He added that in South India, the cost of one bag of cement had risen by almost Rs 50 as its demand had increased with the realty sector picking up but in the North, the demand was yet to pick up due to the prolonged monsoon.

The rise in cement price will adversely hit the realty sector which is beginning to pick up with Covid showing signs of receding. Cement prices had risen by Rs 12 to Rs 15 about four months ago in the state.

Rajiv Chopra, a realtor from Solan, said, “As the cement prices set to rise again, buyers will rethink about investing in property.”

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