Mumbai : Facing a shortage of funds, the Maharashtra forest department has requested funds from the District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) of Nashik to step up efforts to capture leopards in and around the district before the upcoming Kumbh Mela. The move aims to prevent any untoward incidents, as thousands of devotees are expected to gather in the city for the religious festival.
The forest department’s actions come at a time when in the first two months of this year alone, two people have died and several others have been injured in leopard attacks across Nashik district. In 2025, 10 people died in such attacks in Nashik district alone and the tally of deaths rose higher with cases in other parts of Maharashtra.
Leopard attacks have become a growing concern across several parts of the state, including Nashik, Pune, Ahilya Nagar, Kolhapur and districts in the Vidarbha region. The forest department estimates that Nashik is home to around 500 leopards. The issue gained further attention after a leopard attack was reported within Nashik city limits in November 2025.
To address the situation, the department has stepped up vigilance and prepared a proposal to set up a rescue centre in Nashik with the capacity to house around 300 leopards. The proposal has been sent to the central government for approval.
Speaking in the legislative council about man-animal conflict, state forest minister Ganesh Naik flagged the potential threat of leopard attacks during the Kumbh Mela. He said that given past incidents and the large number of leopards in the district, it’s high time to expedite the work to capture leopards. “Lakhs of devotees will be present every day during the Kumbh Mela. It will have serious consequences if leopards enter Nashik during Kumbh Mela. We need to capture them before Kumbh,” said Naik.
However, the minister also highlighted the helplessness of the department citing shortage of funds which were limiting their efforts. Citing an earlier instance, he said that former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had sanctioned DPDC funds to the forest department to tackle leopard-related issues in Pune district. “We need to solve the leopard problem but it needs funds. In Nashik too we need such funds from DPDC as our department is facing shortage of funds,” said Naik.
Congress MLC Satej Patil backed Naik’s demand and urged BJP minister Girish Mahajan, who is in charge of Nashik district and Kumbh-related works, to facilitate funding. Patil also raised concerns about man-animal conflict in other parts of the state and urged all members of legislature to contribute from their MLC fund as the forest department was facing shortage of funds.
“I have provided ₹8.5 lakh for drone cameras in Kolhapur to keep an eye on movements of animals to prevent conflict. I will soon provide funds for trap cages too. To control the man-animal conflict in various areas of state all legislatures should provide funds to the forest department as it needs urgent attention,” said Patil.