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. 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. 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. “The Nashik-Pune Railway must be executed along the exact original route on which it was proposed. 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.