The Devendra Fadnavis government is determined to outdo the last Nashik Kumbh Mela, held soon after he became the Chief Minister for the first time in October 2014. Around 2.5 crore people are estimated to have visited Nashik at the time. For next year’s Simhastha, as the 12-year Kumbh is called, the government is pulling out all the stops, to ensure five times the number of visitors for the celebration, which will stretch out over a year at Nashik and nearby Trimbakeshwar.
One project, however, is facing a hurdle. Since last month, protesters have held a sustained agitation to block Nashik Municipal Corporation’s (NMC’s) proposal to clear a nearly 54-acre tract of land known as ‘Tapovan’ of 1,800 trees, for construction of the main sadhugram (a residential facility for ascetics) for the mela.
Social activists, actors, including known Marathi name Sayaji Shinde, and students have been descending daily at Tapovan, showing their opposition to the NMC plan by hugging trees at the site and holding placards.
On December 11, Pune-based activist Shriram Pralhadrao Pingle moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT), saying that thousands of native trees, “some of which are decades old”, are facing the axe, “without proper Environmental Impact Assessment”. Pingle said viable alternatives had not been explored, and the authorities had shown blatant disregard for statutory requirements.
The next day, the NGT imposed a stay on tree felling until the next date of hearing, which is January 16 next year.
Asserting that all safeguards are being taken to ensure there is no harm to the environment, CM Fadnavis has said the protests have been “politicised”. “Some people feel they can create hurdles in the way of the Kumbh Mela… They will not be allowed to stop us.”
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The site in question, Tapovan, is located about 3 km from Ramkund, where devotees take the dip in the Godavari during the mela. As per popular belief, Lord Ram spent a part of his vanvas or exile in Nashik, specifically Tapovan.
In previous melas too, Tapovan, which is owned by the NMC, was used to create accommodation for sadhus, and is officially known as ‘sadhugram’ in the city’s development plan. In between the melas, Tapovan has so far stood vacant. The trees came up about a decade ago, as the city expanded to the plot’s margins, with the NMC planting the same to prevent encroachment.
Over time, Tapovan turned into an important urban lung for Nashik.
Early November, some residents on their morning walk spotted felling notices put up on several trees in Tapovan. The public uproar over this has been building since, with activists questioning the need to clear Tapovan when several alternative sites are available nearby.
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Says one of the protesters, Talha Shaikh, “The NMC’s notice, which gave people just seven days to raise objections, shows that it wanted to cut these trees surreptitiously.”
“Nashik was once known for its pristine climate. Now pollution has come here too. City planners need to ensure that Nashik’s green cover is conserved. However, we have an administration that is planning to cut it down,” says Shubham Patil, a student who is a part of the protests.
The NMC has defended their plans saying Tapovan has “historically served as the primary accommodation zone for sadhus during the mela” and that setting up residential facilities elsewhere posed “serious logistical and safety challenges”.
“The amrut snan (one of the holy dips) procession also originates there. Changing its location would create serious traffic disruptions, besides pose a threat to people’s lives,” NMC Commissioner Manisha Khatri told reporters last month.
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Khatri also called claims of “large-scale” tree felling as “rumours”, and said not all of those marked would be cut. “The 1,800 trees mentioned were only counted. Only foreign species that harm biodiversity will be removed, apart from minimal clearing of shrubs and small trees. We will not touch big, indigenous trees,” she said.
Fadnavis has questioned the motives of some of the protesters, saying they had “started activism about this and suddenly become environmentalists”. “I have respect for genuine environmentalists, but some have become environmentalists for political reasons,” he said.
Now, to counter the activists, the government has started ‘Green Nashik’, as part of which 15,000 trees will be planted across the city. Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, who is in charge of overseeing the Kumbh preparations, was present for the launch on Monday.
“About 500 trees may be cut (at Tapovan), but we are planting 15,000 trees in their place. We are being accused of planting two-foot-tall saplings that don’t survive even a year. However, I promise that not a single tree planted as part of this drive will die,” Mahajan said.
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Activists, however, have serious doubts about this, citing the poor track record when it comes to such measures.
On December 12, social activist Sudam Hadpe shared photos from Phaashicha Dongar, a small hillock located about 13 km from Nashik city centre, identified as one of the sites for the Nashik administration’s compensatory afforestation plan, purportedly showing that most of the trees planted by the NMC at that site are struggling to survive.
