HYDERABAD: The handling and immersion of Ganesh and Durga idols has been now given to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) by the State Government. It may be mentioned here that the civic body has no experience in dealing with such mammoth arrangements.
Till last year, handling and immersion of idols during the two festivals involving stationery and mobile cranes was carried by the Irrigation and CAD department in coordination with various government departments.Last year itself, the State government had asked GHMC to handle the idol immersion. However, Municipal Administration and Urban
Development (MAUD) department, due to various reasons, requested the State government to see that the immersion arrangements was handled by Irrigation and CAD department. This year, Vinayaka Chaturthi is falling on September 13 and immersion of idols will take place from third day to 13th day (September 15 to 25) while Durgastami falls on October on 16 and immersion of idols will take place from October 16 to 20. Being a first, it would be difficult for the Hyderabad Lakes and Water Bodies Management (HL&WBM) circle, a wing of GHMC, to handle the immersion process.
Coordination a must
To take up the immersion responsibility, the civic body needs to coordinate with various departments who have to attend various duties including Roads and Buildings department for barricading, Fisheries department for providing sufficient swimmers in consultation with the Police authorities etc.
Road Transport authorities need to provide sufficient vehicles to the organisers to carry the idols on the day of immersions, TSRTC has to ply sufficient buses during the immersion at late hours from important places to avoid inconvenience to the devotees. TSPCB has to take steps for the prevention of pollution during the immersion days. Lastly, the commissioner of police for different Commissionerates have to provide sufficient police bandobust and maintain law and order for the peaceful conduct of processions.
Apart from NTR Marg and Tank Bund, HL&WBM proposes to hire as many as 220 cranes at specified 30-32 locations for the forthcoming two festivals at an estimated cost of Rs 2.65 crore.The other lakes where immersions takes every year include Hasmathpet, Rangadamini Cheruvu, Pragathinagar cheruvu, Durgam Cheruvu, Alwal lake, Palle cheruvu, Pattikunta, Vennelagadda, nalla Cheruvu, Kamuni Cheruvu, Gangaram, Khazaguda, R C Puram, J P Nagar, Hafeezpet, Neknampur, Gopi Nagar and Prakash nagar.
Rs 2.65 crore
Apart from NTR Marg and Tank Bund, HL&WBM proposes to hire as many as 220 cranes at specified 30-32 locations for the forthcoming two festivals at an estimated cost of Rs 2.65 crore.
Environmental engineers to monitor sanitation in city
For maintaining proper sanitation and to effectively deal with construction waste and debris (C&D), GHMC has appointed 49 environmental engineers (EEs) in place of assistant medical officers of health (AMOHs) who were monitoring the day-to-day sanitation works such as sweeping of roads and their transportation to designated places. These works will now be monitored by environmental engineers who joined the duties on Tuesday.
HMWS & SB MD reviews HUDCO and ORR works
To ensure provision of drinking water to villages within Outer Ring Road (ORR), HMWS&SB Managing Director, M Dana Kishore directed officials to complete the ongoing works by October end. He held a review meeting with senior officials of the Water Board on Tuesday on projects relating HUDCO, ORR and other related works. Under HIDCO project, pending works such as junction works, gaps in between the pipelines should be completed at the earliest by taking up the issue with the concerned agencies. Similarly, the ORR works will be speeded up by increasing the men and machinery. The works will be completed by October, he said.
22 structures razed to ground
As part of monsoon action plan, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Tuesday demolished as many as 22 dilapidated structures. The special drive for the demolition of dilapidated structures is likely to continue till all such buildings are demolished or are repaired by the occupants.
Inspector suspended on corruption charges
Malkajgiri inspector T Komuraiah on Tuesday was suspended based on corruption charges. Sources said that Komuraiah had taken charge as Station House Officer seven months ago, and was involved in financial disputes related to private chit funds. It is alleged that he collected money from victims of scams in private chit funds and from people who ran the funds and cheated the public, without paying returns.
Irked by gas delivery boys asking money, CI files complaint
K Satyanarayana, inspector at Kachiguda police station lodged a complaint with the chief ration officer and with the police on Tuesday alleging that he was asked money by the a gas delivery boy. According to him, the employees of Mukund Enterprises of Indian Gas Agency at Barkatpura were allegedly asking customers to shell out Rs 30 - Rs 50. District supply officer MK Rathod said that was a criminal offence under the Essential Commodities Act and said action would be taken soon