50% land acquisition now enough to start tender process for outer ring rd

Nashik: State govt, in order to accelerate work on the 65-km outer ring road around Nashik, has eased the mandatory requirement of acquiring 100% land before tendering and brought it down to 50%.This move has been aimed to fasttrack the project ahead of the 2027 Simhastha Kumbh Mela. After the relaxation, tenders for the proposed outer ring road project can be floated once half the required land is acquired for any road project. Designed to ease traffic flow during the massive religious gathering, the project is being implemented by the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) at an estimated cost of Rs7,613 crore — covering both land acquisition and civil construction works.A total of 386 hectares across 25 villages surrounding Nashik will be acquired for the ring road. The land acquisition cost, estimated at Rs3,659 crore, will be borne by state govt, while the Union ministry of road transport and highways will fund the civil works amounting to Rs3,954 crore.Moreover, the PWD has also given approval to provide funds, both for land acquisition and civil works, to the MSIDC through the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority.The officials involved in the land acquisition process said they have so far received consent from farmers for acquisition of 141 hectares, which is around 37% of the total proposed land. "We will reach 50% within a month and then the tender process will be started," an official said.The outer ring road will pass through key stretches including DRDO Junction, Dindori Road, Dakambale Shivar, Peth-Gavalwadi, Gangapur Road, Govardhan, Trimbak Road, Belgaon Dhaga and Vilholi. According to the officials, the deadline for completion of the ring road project is March 2027, ensuring the road is functional well before the Kumbh Mela begins.The proposed ring road will connect all the major state and national highways that pass through Nashik city. Hence, heavy containers, trucks and other vehicles will pass through the outer ring road instead of entering the city.