Tata Trusts, Nashik Municipal Corporation and Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra Inaugurate Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Van Udyan in Nashik

Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Tata Trusts & Nashik Municipal Corporation for a period of five years
Tata Trusts to help restore natural beauty and development of ‘reserved forest’
Jawaharlal Nehru Van Udyan to feature Asia’s largest ‘sound & light’ show – Katha, in Marathi, daily
December 28, 2016, Nashik – In a glittering light and sound ceremony, Tata Trusts, Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCML) inaugurated the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Van Udyan in Nashik, as part of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NMC and Tata Trusts to restore the natural beauty of the park.

As part of Tata Trusts’ Natural Resource Management portfolio, the partnership with NMC will focus on the protection and preservation of the existing Jawaharlal Nehru Van Udyan, which has been designated as ‘reserved forests’.

Through Tata Trusts, the Jawaharlal Nehru Van Udyan will feature Asia’s largest live ‘sound & light’ show – Katha, in Marathi, to communicate the social message of conservation of forest. The live show, retrofitted in the existing amphitheater with the background of dense forest makes use of canopy to convey the message, is slated to be a daily affair. It will soon feature in Hindi as well. Bringing it up to international standards and leveraging technology, this one-of-a-kind park will also feature special animatronics as the main attraction for children. Keeping the conservation plans of the forest department in mind, Tata Trusts enabled the use of ecologically safe and conscious products to keep the park as natural as possible. Apart from planting additional trees, bamboo fencing has been used in the park. Tata Trusts will be involved in the maintenance of the Van Udyan for the next four years in collaboration with the FDCML.

Mr. Nana Patekar as Chief Guest and Mr. Raj Thakeray viewed the sound and light show and in his inaugural address, Mr. Thakeray said, “The Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Van Udhyan is the first project of its kind in India where a government Forest department has given land to a corporation. Special thanks must be given to Mr. Tata, Chairman-Tata Trusts. My vision for the park is something only Mr. Tata could understand and it is for this reason that he helped in making it a reality. It is only because of the blessings of Mr. Tata that the project has been made possible”.

Mr. Ashish Deshpande, Head – Grant Management, Tata Trusts said, “Mr. Thakeray’s creativity when combined with the execution ability of Tata Trusts is what is responsible for the creation of this one of a kind experience. The Trusts are privileged to partner with the Nashik Municipal Corporation to create this park. The Trusts have a long legacy of establishing institutions that are unique and the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Van Udhyan is yet another example of our efforts to do the same. We hope it serves as a centre for community, learning and conservation for years to come”.

Tata Trusts has been actively involved in the preservation and restoration of natural resources, wildlife and forests. Prior to this, Tata Trusts had created a 10,000-sq-ft enclosure in partnership with ‘My Vets’, to safeguard the dwindling population of peacocks at the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai, earlier this year.