NASHIK: The municipal administration has started preparations for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela to be held in Nashik in 2027. The appointment of the Namami Goda project consultant is in the final stage. Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar held a meeting with senior officials yesterday and made various suggestions.
In the next four years, there will be a lot of space for parking and along with searching for new spaces, the Municipal Commissioner informed that a new 60-km long outer ring road will be constructed. He also ordered the officials to prepare a proposal in this regard.
Meanwhile, he ordered the officials to prioritize the work of Kumbh Mela. The new ring road will start from Jalalpur and will cover a total of 60 kilometres of distance to end at Jalalpur. It is currently named New Outer Ring Road.
The municipal administration will make efforts for this road and the commissioner said that this new ring road will be constructed about four years before the Simhastha. Meanwhile, although some parts of this ring road are 30 meters in some areas, it is being considered to make it 60 meters.
Once the ring road is completed, the pressure on the traffic in the city will be eased and the traffic congestion will also be reduced. Similarly, devotees from all over the world will also be able to visit all the adjoining villages.
Similarly, due to the fact that most of the places that were used for parking during the last Kumbh Mela have been developed with construction, the municipal corporation has now taken up the task of finding new places for parking.
Some NMC officials have participated in many Kumbh congregations in the past. Due to this, the Municipal Commissioner gathered information from him yesterday and reviewed how the work was done in the past.
Length of ghats to increase
Simhastha Kumbh Mela is organised in Nashik every 12 years in a grand manner. During this period lakhs of devotees from all over the world flock to Nashik as the Royal Bath is celebrated. All the facilities are provided by the government along with the municipal administration.
The idea of increasing the length of the ghats in the city is currently underway. The Municipal Commissioner has ordered the administration to prepare a proposal in this regard and it is estimated that if the length of the ghats is increased, there will be plenty of space for more devotees to take a bath and the crowd will be under control.
“What is the exact amount of funds required to provide various facilities by Nashik Municipal Corporation for Simhastha? A review of this has started. After the review, the funds will be requested from the government. An order has also been given to prioritise the work to be done in Kumbh Mela planning. There is an effort to plan everything in a very precise manner.”
– Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator
