Proposed axing of trees for Kumbh mela preparations in Nashik opposed

Mumbai, Nov 21 (PTI) The proposed felling of trees to develop a Sadhu Gram colony in Tapovan area of Nashik, ahead of the 2027 Kumbh congregation, has united locals and environmental groups against the civic body’s plan. More than 1,700 trees are proposed to be removed from the 54-acre land under the Nashik Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) jurisdiction.

Environmental activists have filed 400 objections and launched protests after around 1,670 trees were marked with yellow paint, of which about 40 per cent are proposed to be cut.

Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan assured protesters that efforts will be made to relocate trees, wherever possible, and to plant compensatory plantation.

Mahajan said the Kumbh Mela will attract saints and devotees from across India and the world, and the administration must prepare adequate arrangements.

He said ten new trees will be planted for every tree cut, while underlining the necessity of establishing a Sadhu Gram colony.

"For the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik, saints and mahants will arrive not only from India but from across the world. On this background, a Sadhu Gram is being developed by the Nashik Municipal Corporation in Tapovan. More than 1,800 trees need to be cut, and the nature lovers opposed it and launched a protest", he said after meeting the protesters on Thursday.

The minister said the trees that can be transplanted will be shifted elsewhere, and for those that need to be removed, ten new trees will be planted for every tree cut.

He called for balancing infrastructure requirements with ecology, noting that Nashik has very limited space for the Kumbh Mela congregation compared to Prayagraj.

"The number of saints and devotees expected will be many times higher than previous Melas. Hence, planning is necessary. Some trees will be cut and some transplanted," Mahajan added.

However, activists opposing the plan insisted that they were not opposing the Kumbh Mela, but were against the felling of old and large trees.

Yogesh Barve of the Kapila River Conservation Committee claimed large trees were never axed for hosting Kumbha fairs in the past in Nashik.

"Now, even centuries-old banyan, tamarind, peepal and umber trees have been marked. If 100-year-old trees are to be cut, we will protest," he added.

NMC Additional Commissioner Karishma Nair said old trees would be protected and only younger trees would be removed where construction is affected.

"Only construction-affected trees that are less than ten years old will be cut. If a seven-year-old tree is removed, seven new trees will be planted. Preserving old trees is the responsibility of the municipal corporation," she added.

The Sadhu Gram is being planned on around 1,200 acres, where saints of the Vaishnav sect will stay during the event.

The official flag-hoisting ceremony, marking the start of the Kumbh Mela, will take place on October 31, 2026. Tree surveys conducted from Rashtrasant Janardan Swami Ashram to Batuk Hanuman Temple showed a high number of babhul trees and shrubs. The NMC maintains that clearing the land is required for infrastructure development. PTI ND NSK