The Nashik forest department and police will operate a joint rapid response mechanism at Saptashrungi Gad during Navratra, as the district prepares for a major influx of devotees and recurring reports of monkey bites at the religious site.
Forest Range Officer Deepali Gaikwad said the area is inhabited by hundreds of monkeys and that monkey-bite cases are frequently reported on the Gad. In response, the forest department will install flexes and informative boards at several locations, warning devotees not to feed or tease monkeys, birds or other wildlife.
The measures are part of a wider festival-preparedness plan discussed by the Nashik district administration. Collector Ayush Prasad directed officials to implement a comprehensive plan and prioritise coordinated security arrangements to ensure a safe and orderly festival across the district.
The administration’s approach links wildlife awareness with the practical challenges created by large religious gatherings. At Saptashrungi Gad, visitors will be required to navigate a busy hill-site environment where crowd movement, parking and road access need to be managed alongside the presence of wild animals.
Police teams will conduct site inspections to identify congestion points and will install barricades, enforce one-way traffic routes and arrange dedicated parking facilities. Similar arrangements are planned at Saptashrungi Gad, Wani and Chandwad, which are expected to experience increased movement during the festival period.
Saptashrungi Gad is an important religious site in Maharashtra and attracts devotees from across the country. Visitor numbers rise sharply during Navratra, with lakhs of devotees expected to reach the site. The district administration has therefore placed crowd safety, traffic movement and visitor convenience at the centre of its preparations.
The forest department’s warnings are intended to reduce direct interaction between visitors and wildlife, while the police measures are aimed at limiting congestion and maintaining controlled movement. Officials will implement the response mechanism and related traffic and security arrangements during the Navratra rush.
