No segregation of PoP and clay idols at Hussainsagar

HYDERABAD: Ignoring alternative arrangements made for them, people headed to the Hussainsagar to immerse their Ganesha idols on Tuesday. There was no segregation based on material — plaster of Paris or clay — and height.

Apart from the artificial ponds constructed at many places in the city, near Hussainsagar the GHMC had set up three — a portable immersion tank at Prasads’s Imax parking area and two baby ponds at Jalavihar and Sanjeevaiah Park. These were mostly ignored, a trend seen from Sunday, and brought their clay and PoP idols, some just one foot tall and the others as big has 10 feet for immersion in the Hussainsagar.

It is estimated that over 80 per cent of people had headed to Hussainsagar, instead of the temporary arrangements. Both clay and PoP idols are being immersed at People’s Plaza without any restriction by the police or the GHMC.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a Saifabad police said, “We are trying our best to communicate to people to use the artificial ponds for PoP idol immersions, but we cannot force them as this is a festival. We do not want the people to feel dispirited as most of the people want to carry on the immersion as per the rituals in a natural waterbody.”

Even the traffic control was only to divert people to immersion points and not segregate the PoP and clay idols.

The traffic control incharge at PVNR Marg said that they could only direct people towards the immersion facilities but could do little about diverting the PoP idols specifically towards the artificial ponds.

A GHMC worker at the People’s Plaza said that most of the people were not interested in the artificial ponds. Barricades have been placed along the lake boundary to prevent people from throwing the idol into the lake.