Tapovan Tree-Cutting Controversy: Minister Girish Mahajan Withdraws Proposed MICE Hub Amid Strong Opposition

After massive protest over plans to cut 1,800 trees for a MICE-hub and “Sadhugram” at Tapovan, Nashik, Minister Girish Mahajan retracted the exhibition-center proposal, promising no commercial work there.

Nashik|06 December 2025:The plan to convert part of Tapovan  a historically and ecologically sensitive zone into a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) hub has been shelved, following loud protests from environmentalists, opposition parties and even allies, forcing minister Girish Mahajan to step back.

The controversy centred around a proposed ₹220-crore public-private project  floated by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC)  which envisaged building an exhibition centre, banquet halls and restaurants on Tapovan land. The plan included cutting down roughly 1,800 trees across 54 acres to make space for the development, part of the broader “Sadhugram” project intended for the upcoming Kumbh Mela.

As word of the plan spread, opposition mounted  from green groups, local citizens, and political leaders alike. Some trees had already been marked for felling, which sparked outrage and triggered a wave of public protests.

Confronted with mounting pressure, Mahajan clarified that no commercial or exhibition centre would be set up at Tapovan. He further promised that any young saplings to be removed would be transplanted under expert supervision, with a target survival rate above 70 percent. He said only necessary adjustments for the Kumbh-Mela’s “Sadhugram” would proceed  but old trees would remain untouched.

To compensate for the green loss, the state government and NMC plan a large-scale tree-plantation drive of 15,000 trees across Nashik.For now, Tapovan remains free of any commercial structure  but the episode has raised serious questions about development vs. environmental sensitivity, and the stakes involved in balancing heritage, ecology and infrastructure.

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