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Farmers to block highways over change in Nashik-Pune rail route
The protest comes on the back of reports that the original Nashik-Pune rail alignment has been scrapped
PUNE: There is strong opposition to the proposed change in the alignment of the Nashik-Pune high-speed railway project, with farmers and members of the railway passengers action committee from Sinnar taluka announcing a rasta roko protest on January 31. The agitation will be held simultaneously on the Samruddhi Mahamarg and Nashik-Pune national highway to compel the state government to roll back its decision or face intensified protests.
The protest comes on the back of reports that the original Nashik-Pune rail alignment has been scrapped only to be replaced with a new route passing through Pune-Ahilyanagar-Nimbalak-Punatamba-Pimpalgaon-Sainagar Shirdi-Nashik. Ever since the route change became public, there has been widespread unrest in areas falling along the originally planned corridor. The original alignment was to pass near Narayangaon, close to the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) international astronomical observatory. Officials are said to have proposed the alternative route to avoid possible obstruction to the GMRT. However, farmers and local residents are of the view that this change is unjustified and detrimental to their long-term interests.
The protesters are demanding that the rail project be implemented along the original route namely Nashik-Sinnar-Akole-Sangamner-Narayanagaon-Rajgurunagar-Chakan on the grounds that this alignment is crucial for balanced regional development. They are of the view that the project is vital not only for strengthening connectivity between two major industrial cities—Nashik and Pune—but also for ensuring efficient transport of agricultural produce, and easing travel for students and working professionals.
So much so that a railway action committee has been formed to press for these demands. Committee members have pointed out that the state government has already incurred significant expenditure on the project and land acquisition has been completed in several villages of Sinnar taluka with compensation already paid to many farmers. “Once the land acquisition process began, farmers had genuine expectations of development and economic opportunities. A sudden change in alignment amounts to grave injustice to Sinnar taluka,” the committee stated.
Earlier last week, a delegation of farmers and residents of Sinnar and the surrounding villages met Nashik district collector Ayush Prasad and submitted a formal memorandum. Speaking after the meeting, office-bearer Shantanu Jadhav of the action committee said, “Farmers cooperated with land acquisition in good faith, trusting the government’s commitment. Altering the route now will leave us deprived of the promised development. We will not accept this injustice.”
The committee has announced that the rasta roko agitation will begin at 10 am on January 31 at the Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Samruddhi Mahamarg and Nashik-Pune Highway. Issuing a stern warning, those who have called the protest said that if the government does not withdraw its decision to change the alignment, the agitation will be escalated across the region.
District authorities have acknowledged the receipt of the memorandum, while officials indicated that the concerns raised by the farmers will be conveyed to the state government. However, with the protest deadline approaching, tensions continue to mount in Sinnar and the adjoining areas over the future of the ambitious Nashik-Pune high-speed rail project.
