The Bombay High Court has scheduled a final hearing after 10 days on petitions challenging proposed tree cutting and other infrastructure works linked to the Nashik Kumbh Mela, including the planned Sadhugram and exhibition centre at Tapovan.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna heard the matter on Thursday. The Nashik Municipal Corporation and the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Authority asked the court to hear the petitions urgently, saying the proposed works must be completed within fixed timelines for the religious event.
The municipal corporation told the court that the petitions include a challenge to the stay imposed by the National Green Tribunal on the decision to cut thousands of trees at Tapovan. The civic body is seeking removal of that stay, according to the submission recorded during the hearing.
The petitions also raise objections to other works planned for the Kumbh Mela. These include the proposed Sadhugram, an area intended to accommodate religious groups and pilgrims, and an exhibition centre described as a MICE hub. The court directed all parties to file their submissions before the matter is taken up for final hearing.
The municipal corporation maintained that tree cutting would be undertaken only after obtaining permission from the relevant authorities. It also said that some trees would have to be removed for road-widening work connected with the preparations.
The dispute places environmental permissions and large-scale event infrastructure at the centre of the preparations for the Nashik Kumbh Mela. The civic authorities and the Kumbh Authority have argued that the city is being upgraded in view of the expected scale of the gathering and the infrastructure requirements associated with it.
According to the submission made by the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Authority, Nashik’s population is approximately 23 lakh to 25 lakh, while as many as 12 crore people are expected to visit the city for the Kumbh Mela. The authority cited this expected volume while describing the need for extensive changes to the city and related facilities.
The case will return before the Bombay High Court after 10 days for final hearing. Until then, the parties are required to place their respective positions and supporting submissions before the court. The immediate status of the proposed tree cutting and the related works will depend on the court’s consideration of the petitions and the existing stay.
