Overview
- The Nashik Municipal Corporation plans to clear roughly 1,700–1,825 trees in Tapovan to build a temporary Sadhu Gram for the Simhastha Kumbh scheduled to begin in 2026.
- Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar publicly backed citizen protests, creating a rare public split with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the Kumbh preparation plan.
- Fadnavis says only the minimum will be removed and cites space constraints in Nashik, while Municipal Commissioner Manisha Khatri asserts big trees will be spared, foreign shrubs cleared, and replanting undertaken.
- Activists question the project’s intent after ThePrint reported a November tender for a MICE complex at the site, while Khatri says the land will remain with the corporation and be developed for revenue after the Kumbh.
- On-the-ground demonstrations continue in Nashik and a solidarity protest is planned in Pune on 7 December, as minister Nitesh Rane’s remarks targeting environmentalists drew fresh political criticism.