PUNE/NASHIK, April 10 -- Nashik is caught in a three-way conflict today - its green cover at the epicentre. As the city with a population of 2.5 million (4.5 million in the district) which is recognised as the wine capital of the country, prepares to host the Simhastha Kumbh Mela -- one of the largest religious gatherings in western India-it is witnessing a clash between faith, government's infra push and citizens' pushback to protect the green cover, which is at risk. At the heart of the dispute lies the felling of around over 3,000 trees across the city - including banyan, neem, mango and peepal - some of them over 300 years old, to facilitate upgrades. While the state government has accelerated infrastructure projects worth Rs.35,000 crore, including road widening, constructing bridges and civic upgrades, to prepare for the mega event that is expected to draw around 80 million devotees over nearly two years, the Pune bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on April 7 stayed the tree felling activities linked to the Kumbh-related projects till April 28. The order was issued after the court heard a petition by Nashik-based environmentalist Manish Baviskar. The tribunal has asked the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) to present its case at the next hearing. While the administration argues in favour of developmental works to manage the unprecedented inflow of pilgrims and ensuring safety, activists and a section of residents have alleged that the city's ecological balance is being sacrificed in the name of development. The Simhastha Kumbh Mela, held once every 12 years, will take place from October 31, 2026 to July 24, 2028, with key rituals scheduled between July and September next year. On peak days, such as the three Amrut Snans, around 25 million devotees are expected to touch the banks of Godavari river each day. To cope with the scale, NMC has planned to widen 28 roads - in many cases expanding them from 12 metres to 30 metres - alongside laying new underground water and sewage pipelines. All projects are expected to be completed by March next year, said Shekhar Singh, commissioner of Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority. Kumbh has historically enabled large-scale funding for Nashik's development. "NMC's annual budget for city roads and bridges is about Rs.150 crore, which has been scaled up to Rs.1,400 for roads and seven new bridges," said a civic official. In November 2025, NMC proposed cutting of 1,700 trees in Tapovan to build residential facilities for sadhus, which elicited sharp reactions from citizens and environmentalists. The current flashpoint is Gangapur Road, where 550 trees have been marked for removal, of which 22 have already been cut. "During the 2015-16 Kumbh, the civic body made a similar move. But we moved the Bombay High Court (HC) that stayed NMC's decision. Had it implemented HC's recommendations, there would not have been a need to cut trees at Gangapur Road," said Baviskar. His lawyer, Shriram Pingle, alleged procedural violations. "NMC did not wait for the mandatory three weeks after ordering trees to be cut. In 2014, HC had suggested creating islands around trees or realigning roads. It failed to do so; and now is in a hurry to cut trees," he said. The decision to cut trees is not arbitrary, but driven by a demand for progress, said Nashik mayor Himgauri Aher-Adke. "Considering the growing traffic congestion, a series of recent accidents and forthcoming Kumbh, expansion of roads is inevitable; we have put our mind towards conservation of trees as well," said Aher-Adke. Speaking in a similar vein, municipal commissioner Manisha Khetri, noted, "In the last five years the Gangapur Road area, which is in the heart of the city with a thick green cover, has seen 37 deaths. A large section of people have been demanding that the trees here be axed." The government's infra push has generated a debate among citizens, often shaped by personal experiences. Ramesh Iyer, a 71-year-old social worker suspected NMC's road widening endeavour was to create parking spaces for vehicles to benefit restaurants and bars. "If motorists are careful while driving there would be no accidents despite the presence of trees," said Iyer. "As the city is known for its greenery, it is improper to cut trees in anywhere," suggested Samarnath Banerjee, an activist and resident. Ashish Shah, director of a private company in Nashik and Gangapur resident, said axing trees must be the last option to facilitate development. "The civic body must fashion alternative measures to protect the trees and carry out road widening work unhindered," he said. For some, the trees represent danger, for others Kumbh is an opportunity for economic growth. Mahesh Pagar, a Gangapur resident, said, "I lost my father two years ago as the bike he was travelling in hit a banyan tree. Will the activists opposing tree cutting move bring him back?" Batting for development, however, educationist Ratan Luth, said, "If Nashik has to keep pace with cities such as Mumbai and Pune, infra boost is imperative to attract investments." He filed many PILs against NMC on various issues in the past. "But on this issue, I am with NMC, as trees are being removed to change Nashik for the better." Walking by faith, mahant Rajendra Das of the Akhil Bharatiya Nirmohi Akhara Trust championed traditional practices overriding opposition. "Sadhus traditionally reside at Tapovan during Kumbh - it is a part of the religious ritual. We told the authorities that sadhus will not reside at an alternative place. Religion comes first and there should be no opposition to felling trees in any part of Nashik," said Das. Likewise, mahant Bhakti Charan Das, spokesperson for Nashik's three akharas, urged protesters "to respect religious sentiments". Environmentalists however maintained that development cannot come at the cost of ecology. As activist Rajesh Pandit said, "Development is fine, but not at the cost of environment - a large section of locals are unhappy with the tree cutting drive." Kirankumar Johare, a retired researcher at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, drew focus on the impact such an endeavour would have on the climate, saying, "cutting trees at Tapovan and elsewhere will create an imbalance in temperature and rainfall since big trees play a vital role in regulating it". While officials at NMC said it plans to replant ficus varieties - a group of tropical trees, shrubs and vines -- on the outskirts of the city, at Chunchale, activists are vociferous that it would not compensate for the loss of mature, decades-old trees within the city. While NGT's stay may have put the purported damage to Nashik's green cover in abeyance, the larger question is - for how long? The answer may shape not just the Kumbh but the city's future as well....