HYDERABAD: Warning that the state government would be held responsible if anything goes amiss, the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi (BGUS) on Thursday asserted that immersions will take place on NTR Marg Road and Necklace Road of Hussainsagar on September 17.
Immersion should be allowed in water bodies, including the Hussainsagar, without restrictions or causing obstacles to the devotees like in 2022 and 2023, the BGUS said.
BJP leader Kompella Madhavi Latha, who the party fielded as its candidate for the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 General Elections, warned that if the devotees are stopped from immersing Ganesh idols in the water bodies, the idols would not be moved from the temporary pandals set up for the festivities in the city, thus making them permanent temples. ‘’We are anxiously waiting for the ninth day immersions, my dear Hindus. This is not our problem or the problem of the BGUS. The entire issue is between the court and the state government. They need to facilitate immersion of large idols in whatever ponds and tanks they want to make for the ninth and tenth day immersion,” she said at a presser.
BGUS president G Raghava Reddy and general secretary B Raja Vardhan Reddy said the onus was on the state government to make all required arrangements for the immersion.
Raghava said the heavy vehicles carrying bigger idols were not being allowed on the Tank Bund where iron grills have been fixed. “Hyderabad city police and GHMC have put up flexies declaring that immersion is not allowed at the Tank Bund as per orders of the high court. However, no problems should be created for idol immersion on NTR Marg and Necklace Road. Separate enclosures should be created in the water bodies to allow immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) to check pollution,” he said.
BRV Reddy said the HC had issued guidelines in 2021, directing authorities to make arrangements to control pollution in the lake. He claimed that as a responsible organisation, the BGUS has been working to promote clay and eco-friendly idols. ‘’For the past two years, the government has taken steps to implement these guidelines. We request the state government to allow immersion in Hussainsagar and other lakes. Switching from PoP to clay requires the creation of awareness and time to convince manufacturers and devotees. Hence, it cannot be implemented overnight,” he said.