Authority orders joint survey of parking sites for Simhastha Kumbh

NASHIK: The Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA) on Thursday directed the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) and other concerned agencies to immediately conduct a joint ground survey of all proposed parking sites for Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027.The order mandates physical verification of every identified plot - including those under the Public Works Department (PWD) - with a detailed report to be submitted within seven days. The survey will cover major land parcels along Peth Road, Dindori Road, Dhule Road, Pune Road and Mumbai Road, as well as sites outside NMC limits and in the Trimbakeshwar region.Officials said several identified plots require boundary clarity and geo-mapping before being finalised. The joint exercise will validate plot size, entry and exit points, connectivity and readiness for temporary parking infrastructure during peak days.NTKMA Commissioner Shekhar Singh stressed the need for precise on-ground validation. "Accurate mapping of land parcels is essential for smooth, scientific traffic management," he said, adding that the approved parking plan will be a key component of the 2027 mobility and crowd-management strategy.During the 2015 Kumbh, only inner and outer parking zones were created."But this time, we are also planning parking spaces in the middle between outer and inner parking to manage the crowd. Devotees are to be transported by the city buses from outer parking to middle parking, from where they will have access to go to bathing ghats, instead of directly to Ramkund to avoid crowding there," officials said. The Simhastha Kumbh Mela will be held next year. The flag-hoisting ceremony is scheduled for Oct 31, while the three Amrit Snans will take place between Aug and Sept 2027.