Residents protest apathy

Hyderabad: The ritual immersion of the Ganesh idols turned into a spectacle with previously immersed idols lying  strewn across the pavement near the Hussainsagar. Angry devotees reacted to the indifference of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority in retrieving the idols. “The government may not have latest machinery or there may be problems with space. Then why don’t they immerse more idols on the Tank Bund side where the water is deeper, said Ms Rachana Rai, a student. HMDA project engineer Krishna Rao said that sometimes the idols have to be placed on the foreshores or on the pavements before they are loaded on to vehicles. “It does not happen regularly but sometimes vehicles are delayed and parts of idols remain in public view,” he told this newspaper.

Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti president Dr Bhagwantha Rao said the government had started removing idols from the lake following the directions of the High Court. “It is the responsibility of the government. It should take measures to ensure that the sentiments of the people are not hurt,” he said. Officials of Pollution Control Board said if all idols are made of clay, they can be left to dissolve in the water. Senior environmentalist W.G. Prasanna Kumar said the government and the devotees should that they purchase only clay idols and they are eco friendly and don’t cause harm.