India, Nov. 18 -- Ahead of the Kumbh festival which is expected to bring lakhs of devotees to Nashik, the state government has moved to ramp up efforts to check human-leopard conflict in the region. Maharashtra forests minister Ganesh Naik on Sunday directed officials in Nashik and Ahilyanagar to immediately scale-up mitigation efforts on the lines of measures recently introduced in Pune district.

Naik on Monday told reporters that the growing frequency of leopard sightings and attacks has created an alarming situation across the three districts. He said that the influx of visitors during the Kumbh only heightens the risk, particularly in areas where leopards are increasingly entering residential pockets.

He said that Nashik and Ahilyan...