HYDERABAD: Over 4 lakh Ganesh idols were immersed across Telangana this year, including more than 2.25 lakh within Greater Hyderabad, with the sheer volume leaving some pandal organisers still waiting in queues for immersion when this report was filed. The immersions were expected to continue into the early hours of Sunday.
Massive crowds lined the routes to Hussainsagar through Friday night and Saturday as processions made their way to the immersion points. Heavy police deployment helped maintain order, though traffic restrictions around Tank Bund in the morning caused delays for commuters before easing by evening.
The processions also encountered a few unusual hurdles. At Golnaka, organisers had to transport a tall idol in a reclining position to negotiate low-hanging tree branches and overhead electrical wires. In another incident, an idol fell off a transport vehicle on the Langar Houz Ring Road. Police cleared the road using a crane, and no injuries were reported.
In Future City Commissionerate limits, all 4,403 immersions across the Maheshwaram, Shadnagar and Chevella zones concluded smoothly by Friday. Commissioner of Police Tarun Joshi inspected the arrangements at Sheriguda Check Dam in Ibrahimpatnam late on Thursday night.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar attributed the smooth conduct of the festivities to three months of planning and better operational coordination.
He said coordination had improved this year as the main procession route from Balapur to Hussainsagar fell under a single commissionerate. Security arrangements involved 20,000 city police personnel and 8,000 district forces, along with Greyhounds, OCTOPUS and Telangana Special Police units. Official estimates put the number of devotees who visited the Khairatabad Bada Ganesh at nearly 30 lakh, while another 15 lakh visited the Balapur Ganesh.
Sajjanar also expressed concern over the use of paper shots during processions, saying they could create slipping hazards for two-wheeler riders when wet. He said the department would urge the government to consider a ban. After the long security operation, Sajjanar later joined police personnel in dancing as they celebrated the completion of the immersion arrangements, providing a lighter end to a demanding day for the force.
