HYDERABAD: The Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi has completed around three months of preparations for the Ganesh Chaturthi, with idol installations scheduled from September 14 and the main immersion on September 25.
BGUS general secretary Shashidhar Ravinuthala said on Thursday that around 1.5 lakh Ganesh pandals and 50 lakh devotees were expected to participate in the celebrations across Hyderabad.
The Samithi has been coordinating with the Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Malkajgiri and Future City police commissionerates and three municipal corporations to make necessary arrangements. Coordination meetings have been held at the Assembly and division levels, with committees formed for each division, he said.
Ravinuthala said around 1.4 lakh pandals were set up across the city last year and the number was expected to rise to 1.5 lakh this year. Around 110 immersion points would be available, including Hussainsagar, Saroornagar, IDL and Kapra lakes. About 10 major immersion points had already been prepared, he said.
He estimated that around 50 lakh devotees would participate in the celebrations and said the BGUS was coordinating with religious organisations and government departments to make arrangements for them.
According to Ravinuthala, the festival generates business activity worth approximately Rs 6,000 crore in Hyderabad, directly benefiting more than 2 lakh people and indirectly supporting over 4 lakh people.
He also clarified that the main immersion would be held on September 25 despite it falling on a Friday. The date was determined by the tithi and not the day of the week, he said, adding that Ananta Chaturdashi falls on September 25 this year.
Ravinuthala rejected claims that Ganesh festivities cause water pollution, calling them false propaganda. He cited a report submitted by the Telangana Pollution Control Board to the Telangana High Court and said it did not support the level of pollution being alleged.
