NGT grants interim stay on tree cutting in Nashik till April 28

Nashik: The Pune bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday granted an interim stay on the felling of trees in the city till April 28, providing a temporary relief to environmental activists who challenged NMC's ongoing tree-cutting drive linked to development works in view of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.The interim order was passed while hearing an urgent mention of an application filed by city-based tree activist Manish Baviskar against the Nashik Municipal Corporation's (NMC) in original application No. 38/2026. The hearing was held on April 7 before Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and judicial member Sujit Kumar Bajpayee of the NGT's Pune bench, who issued directions restraining authorities from cutting any trees in the city until the next date of hearing.Speaking to TOI, advocate Shriram Pingle, representing the petitioner, said the tribunal has clearly ordered an interim stay on all tree felling activities in Nashik till April 28. He added that the order was passed after the bench was apprised of large-scale tree cutting being undertaken by the civic body in the name of various development works, many of them linked to preparations for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.Pingle said that during the proceedings, the petitioner had brought to the tribunal's notice instances of active tree felling in areas such as Gangapur Road.According to the petitioner Baviskar, live visuals of trees being cut by the municipal corporation were shown to the court during the hearing through a video call, prompting the tribunal to take up the matter urgently and issue the interim order.Following the hearing, Pingle issued a notice to the NMC informing it about the NGT's interim order and cautioned that any violation of the directions would amount to contempt of court. He said the detailed written order was expected to be uploaded on the tribunal's website later in the day.NMC commissioner Manisha Khatri said, "We are waiting for the order and will comply with the instructions of the honourable court," she said.In his plea, Baviskar challenged 35 public notices issued by the NMC between Nov 12, 2025 and March 10, 2026, alleging illegal and indiscriminate tree felling across the city. The petition pointed out that several notices were issued without adequate supporting data and, in many cases, did not even mention the number of trees proposed to be cut. While officials had indicated that around 1,800 trees would be felled, the petitioner alleged that the actual number could exceed 5,000.The plea further claimed that around 1,500 trees had already been cut without following due legal procedure and in violation of earlier orders passed by the Bombay High Court. It alleged that the civic body had made false claims regarding compensatory afforestation, stating that not a single tree had been planted or preserved on the ground. The petition also highlighted that although municipal elections are over, the statutory tree authority has not been constituted and objections raised by vigilant citizens were either ignored or disposed of without passing reasoned orders.The petitioner has alleged that preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela are being used as a pretext for rampant and ecologically harmful tree felling, which could have long-term adverse consequences for Nashik's environment.On Monday, environmental activists and residents had staged a protest against the NMC's tree felling drive along Gangapur Road. Police detained 17 activists for a few hours as a preventive measure to avoid any law and order issues and later released them.Baviskar said the said protest and ongoing tree cutting were specifically brought to the NGT's attention, following which the tribunal took up the matter on an urgent basis and granted the interim stay. The matter is now scheduled for further hearing later this month.