Ajit Pawar Halts Tapovan Tree Felling Ahead of 2026 Kumbh Mela

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar issued a powerful intervention on Wednesday amid fierce public backlash against the Nashik Municipal Corporation’s initial proposal to axe over 1,700 mature trees in the ecologically sensitive Tapovan area to construct a sprawling ‘Sadhu Gram’ complex ahead of the 2026 Kumbh Mela, unequivocally stating that environmental preservation must stand on equal footing with any developmental or religious infrastructure requirement.

In a rare display of intra-coalition pressure, Pawar openly endorsed the defiant stance taken by prominent actor and NCP colleague Sayaji Shinde, who had publicly vowed to oppose even his own government if it proceeded with the deforestation, with the Deputy CM declaring that “only if trees survive will the next generation survive” and warning that unchecked destruction in the name of progress would exact an unacceptable long-term cost on Maharashtra’s ecological heritage.

Directing authorities to abandon confrontation and embrace dialogue, Pawar instructed all concerned departments and civic bodies to pursue an immediate, amicable resolution that fully accommodates the logistical demands of hosting millions of pilgrims and ascetics during the October 2026 Kumbh Mela while ensuring not a single unnecessary tree is sacrificed and the city’s fragile green lungs remain protected for posterity.

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Responding swiftly to the intensifying protests and political heat, Nashik Municipal Commissioner Manisha Khatri executed a significant policy reversal on Tuesday, announcing that more than 60 percent of the 1,700-plus surveyed trees would now be retained, with an iron-clad assurance that every tree standing on the site during the previous 2015 Kumbh Mela would remain untouched and all old, indigenous species would receive absolute protection under revised plans.

Pawar’s decisive intervention signals a broader shift within the ruling Mahayuti alliance toward sustainable mega-event planning, reinforcing that even the world’s largest religious congregation—expected to draw over 150 million devotees to Nashik—cannot justify irreversible environmental harm, and setting a precedent for balancing spiritual tradition with ecological responsibility across future state projects.

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