₹260 Crore Health Plan for Nashik Simhastha: 136 Medical Facilities, 190 Ambulances, 1,945 Beds

A ₹260 crore health plan for the 2027 Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha has received administrative approval through the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA). The Times of India reported this on 25 September 2026, based on the official approval.

What the plan includes

According to the report, the plan covers: - 136 temporary medical facilities - 190 ambulances, both ALS (Advanced Life Support) and BLS (Basic Life Support) - 3,600 extra health staff - hospital beds rising from 1,305 to 1,945, including 185 ICU beds - a 10-bed temporary hospital at Nandur Sadhugram - a digital disease-surveillance system

That is 640 more beds than today. The temporary facilities and the extra staff are meant for the mela period, on top of the hospitals Nashik already has.

Why these numbers matter

The scale of the mela explains the size of the plan. The NTKMA plan expects about 12 crore pilgrims in total. On an Amrit Snan day it expects about 1.5 crore people in Nashik and about 0.75 crore in Trimbak.

The sadhu population is also expected to grow sharply. TOI has reported that about 10 lakh sadhus are expected, against about 2.5 lakh in 2015. The akhadas are housed at Sadhugram, and NMC expects sadhus to start arriving at Tapovan Sadhugram from July 2027. That is why the plan includes a temporary hospital at Nandur Sadhugram.

The digital disease-surveillance system is meant to help health officials watch for illness across the mela area. When crores of people gather in one place, an early warning matters.

What this means for pilgrims

The plan is approved, but many details are not out yet. Where each of the 136 medical facilities will stand, and which ghats will have ambulances parked nearby, has not been published yet. Ghat-wise facility locations, like the ghat-wise crowd plan and road-closure orders, are still awaited. We will update our pages when NTKMA publishes them.

Until then, a few simple steps help: - Save two numbers now: 108 for an ambulance and 112 for any emergency (police). Both are on our emergency page. - Plan for walking. On Amrit Snan days, private vehicles will stop at outer parking hubs, and the Ramkund and Trimbak temple cores will be pedestrian zones, as per the NTKMA transport plan. Elderly pilgrims and people with health conditions should keep this in mind. - Carry your own basics. Keep any regular medicines, a copy of prescriptions and an ID card with you. Write a family contact number on a slip in your pocket. - Choose your day. The three Amrit Snan days will be the most crowded. If you or someone with you has a health condition, a quieter parvani day may be safer. See all the bathing days on our dates page.

On river water: NMC Commissioner Manisha Khatri has said on record that the Godavari will reach bathing quality by May 2027. Four new sewage treatment plants under a ₹1,600 crore river project are due in March 2027 (TOI, 5 September 2026).

For travel, stay and other planning, read our pilgrim guide. The Simhastha formally begins with Dhwajarohan on 31 October 2026, and the first Amrit Snan is on 2 August 2027.