28 proposed Kumbh Mela road projects likely to miss March 2027 deadline in Nashik

Nashik: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC)'s ambitious plan to complete 28 major road projects, collectively valued at Rs 1,270 crore, for the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela is now unlikely to meet its March 2027 deadline amid the sluggish pace of utility-related works. This has pushed the expected completion timeline by nearly two months to May-end 2027.Officials said although all 28 roads were originally scheduled for completion by March next year, the construction of underground utility ducts, mandatory before road building could begin, was running behind schedule. "This lag will almost certainly defer the overall road development to at least May next year," an official admitted.As part of its long-term infrastructure strategy, NMC is installing an integrated utility duct network to prevent future road digging. These ducts will house water pipelines, drainage networks, optical fibre cables (OFC), piped natural gas infrastructure and stormwater drains. Nearly half of the proposed roads are slated to be built using white-topping technology to withstand the heavy traffic expected during the Kumbh Mela."These utility works are already delayed, and we cannot start actual road construction until they are completed," said a senior NMC officials associated with the project.The initial deadline for finishing ducting was Feb-end 2027, later extended to March 15 and then further to March 31. Citing these repeated postponements, the public works department has formally sought municipal commissioner Manisha Khatri's approval for a two-month extension, proposing May 31, 2027, as the revised completion date.Work orders for all 28 major Kumbh roads have already been issued, but ground-level construction remains stalled due to the pending utility ducts.The Simhastha Kumbh Mela will begin with the ceremonial flag-hoisting on Oct 31, 2026, followed by three amrit snans (holy baths) between Aug and Sept 2027. With just 15 months left, the civic body has fast-tracked several infrastructure initiatives, yet the delays in road development continue to be a major concern.