Thousands of protesters staged traffic blockades at several locations across Nashik – Pune highway on Sunday (August 9, 2026), urging the government to retain the proposed Nashik-Pune semi-high-speed railway route through Sangamner and Narayangaon instead of the new route via Shirdi.
MLC Satyajeet Tambe, nephew of Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, was detained by police.
The initial proposal passed through Narayangaon station, 9 km away from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescopes (GMRT) facility, which had raised concerns of potential interference. An alternative route via Shirdi has subsequently been proposed. According to a press release by Mr. Tambe, a major portion of the land acquisition process for the original Nashik-Pune route has already been completed, with over ₹500 crore disbursed.
This chakka Jam (traffic blockade) protest was staged across Chakan, Khed, Manchar, Narayangaon, Alephata, and Sangamner, as well as Gonde Phata on the Samruddhi Expressway and the Sinnar region.
Addressing protestors before his detention, Mr. Tambe said that “this is not a political stance of any single party” but represented a “mass public movement representing a demand that citizens have held for years”.
“The Nashik-Pune Railway must be executed along the exact original route on which it was proposed. We will not accept any attempt to alter the route under anyone’s pressure or for any reason whatsoever,” he said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis constituted a four-member committee, headed by former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Dr. Anil Kakodkar, to study the technical issues concerning the initially proposed Nashik-Pune railway line through Narayangaon. The committee comprises Dr. Kakodkar, along with the Divisional Commissioners of Nashik and Pune and Railway Board officials.
Mr. Tambe said the primary demand of the protestors is that the 60-day deadline granted to this committee must not be extended under any circumstances. “A clear decision must be reached within 60 days,” he said. He also said that the committee should hold public dialogues in every taluka to understand the sentiments of the people.
The GMRT facility, run by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR), is an array of 30 sensitive radio telescopes used for radio astronomical research using the metrewavelength range of the radio spectrum at Khodad.
Published – August 10, 2026 03:00 am IST
