Colony roads across Nashik city set for major makeover before Kumbh, CM clears Rs 1,000 crore for project | Nashik News
Nashik: The city is set for a major road infrastructure overhaul with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis approving a Rs 1,000-crore proposal for the development of internal colony roads across the city ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.Announcing the decision shortly after being appointed Nashik’s guardian minister, Kumbh Mela minister Girish Mahajan said the project would significantly improve civic infrastructure before the mega religious gathering. “Over 85% of potholes in the city have already been patched and the remaining work will be completed by Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) soon. Ongoing concrete and white-topping works on major roads will ensure potholes are not a concern during the Kumbh Mela,” Mahajan said.The minister said many of the colony roads had deteriorated due to years of inadequate funding and neglect. “The CM has cleared the Rs 1,000-crore proposal for colony road development. Once the ongoing works are completed over the next six to seven months, Nashik will see a remarkable transformation,” he said.The announcement comes amid growing public concern over the poor condition of internal roads in several residential areas, where residents have repeatedly complained about potholes, damaged surfaces and a lack of timely maintenance. To address the issue, NMC recently conducted a citywide survey and prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for the redevelopment of colony roads across all six administrative divisions.According to civic data, Nashik’s road network spans nearly 2,400km, including around 1,693km of asphalt roads, 301km of cement roads, 270km of macadam stretches and 134km of roads in slum and tribal areas. Officials said many internal roads had exceeded their maintenance cycle and required extensive repairs. “While asphalt roads should ideally be resurfaced every three years, funding constraints have delayed such works for years,” an official said.A division-wise assessment found Panchavati had the highest length of asphalt roads at 466km, followed by Cidco with nearly 396km. Roads in Nashik East, Nashik West, Nashik Road and Satpur have also been identified for resurfacing under the project.Corporators across party lines have repeatedly raised the issue, claiming that nearly 90% of colony roads had not been relaid over the last 10-12 years. With Kumbh-related infrastructure projects gathering pace, the proposed road upgrade is expected to improve connectivity in residential neighbourhoods and strengthen Nashik’s preparedness for the lakhs of pilgrims expected during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.
