Water returned to Nashik’s Ramkund and the adjoining Godavari riverbed on Friday after nearly three months, following the release of 300 cusecs from Gangapur dam for the scheduled water rotation of the Eklahare thermal power station.
The Water Resources Department released the water at 12.30am on Friday, a day before the Simhastha Dhwajarohan ceremony at Ramkund. The department issued an advisory ahead of the discharge and appealed to citizens to remove cattle and other material from the riverbed and remain alert as the water moved downstream.
After its release from Gangapur dam, the water flowed through the Godavari stretch in Nashik city, passing Ramkund and Tapovan before proceeding towards Eklahare. The flow was visible at Ramkund, Laxmankund and adjoining ghats that had remained largely dry since August.
WRD officials clarified that the release was not made specifically for the Dhwajarohan ceremony. They said it was part of the department’s rotation schedule and was linked to the water requirement of the Eklahare thermal power station. Ramkund and Tapovan lie along the downstream course of the released water, bringing the flow to the riverfront as preparations were under way for Saturday’s ceremony.
The timing has added significance because the Dhwajarohan ceremony is an important ceremonial milestone for Nashik and Trimbakeshwar ahead of the 2027 Kumbh Mela. The Ramkund riverfront is expected to be one of the focal points of the event, during which the Simhastha flag will be hoisted.
Water flow in the Ramkund stretch had been curtailed to facilitate works linked to the Kumbh preparations. The resulting dry riverbed had changed the conditions around the city’s prominent bathing ghats and pilgrimage spaces. The latest discharge has temporarily restored visible flow through the central Godavari stretch, while remaining subject to the WRD’s operational rotation schedule.
Kumbh Mela minister Girish Mahajan had told reporters on Thursday that water would not be released for the Dhwajarohan ceremony. The WRD’s clarification on Friday similarly established that the discharge was for the Eklahare rotation and not a ceremonial release.
Officials’ safety advisory remains in force for people, cattle and materials located in or near the riverbed as the released water continues downstream through Nashik. The next immediate milestone is the Simhastha Dhwajarohan ceremony scheduled at Ramkund on Saturday.
