Why Maharashtra needs to take lessons from Prayagraj ahead of Nashik Kumbh Mela 2027

“At Prayagraj, the authorities medication had elaborate plans. Yet, 1 lawsuit of overcrowding led to a stampede… a blot connected the management. We person to larn our lessons,” a elder authorities serviceman said, requesting anonymity.

A time aft astatine slightest 30 radical died and 60 others were injured astatine the Maha Kumbh successful Prayagraj connected Wednesday, the officer’s concerns are understandable. In 2003, a akin stampede astatine the Nashik Kumbh Mela had led to the nonaccomplishment of 30 lives.

The Kumbh Mela sees millions of devotees instrumentality a beatified dip successful rivers for salvation and is held successful rotation astatine Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik each 3 years. At Prayagraj, the spiritual lawsuit is celebrated on the Triveni Sangam astatine the confluence of the Ganga, Jamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers. In Haridwar, the Kumbh Mela is held on the Ganga River; successful Ujjain on the Shipra River; and successful Nashik, on the Godavari.

Unlike Prayagraj, however, Nashik has respective limitations that propulsion up aggregate challenges for the administration. While the Kumbh Mela astatine Prayagraj is held connected grounds dispersed crossed 4,000 acres of land, the Nashik Kumbh is confined to conscionable 300 acres. At Prayagraj, the Kumbh Mela takes spot connected the outskirts of the metropolis but the Kumbh Mela astatine Nashik is held successful the bosom of the metropolis wherever the riverbanks are narrower. Also, Nashik ever hosts the lawsuit during the monsoon and the rainfall compounds the problems for the administration. Devotees who sojourn the Nashik Kumbh Mela besides connection prayers astatine the adjacent Shani temple, adding to the crowds.

This clip around, Fadnavis has approved a Nashik makeover to guarantee amended roads, basal amenities, makeshift accommodations, a ‘Sadhugram’, etc. From parking facilities extracurricular the Kumbh Mela venue to dedicated routes for devotees, respective arrangements are being planned. The fig of ghats on the riverbank is apt to beryllium accrued and aggregate introduction and exit points for devotees volition beryllium planned.

Fadnavis has besides directed each departments concerned, including territory and municipal corporations, to guarantee greater coordination and systematically transportation retired readying and implementation. Senior BJP curate Girish Mahajan volition beryllium entrusted with the task of overseeing the preparations.

During the meeting, Fadnavis besides called for branding the Kumbh Mela to springiness Nashik a planetary spiritual destination status. The projects shortlisted astatine the gathering included a spiritual corridor betwixt Nashik and Trimbakeshwar, the completion of the Ram Kal Path project, onshore acquisition for gathering peculiar accommodation for seers and saints, widening of the Igatpuri-Nashik agelong of the Mumbai-Agra National Highway etc.

In 2015, Fadnavis, who was the Maharashtra main curate then, had sanctioned Rs 2,500 crore for Nashik and Trimbakeshwar. This year, the budget is apt to increase, sources said.

However, adjacent arsenic the authorities is gearing up to big the mega lawsuit without immoderate mishaps, Nashik is yet to get a guardian curate arsenic some the BJP and the Shiv Sena are eyeing the coveted post. With the Kumbh Mela astir the corner, galore infrastructure projects volition beryllium rolled retired and some parties are anxious to assertion their stock of the pie, sources said.