After 11 Days, Police Heave a Sigh of Relief

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police heaved a sigh of relief as the immersion of over one lakh Ganesha idols was completed in a hassle-free manner at Tank Bund on Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking to media persons, Hyderabad police commissioner C.V. Anand said the police officers were monitoring the immersion programme for the past 40 hours to ensure that the annual ritual was completed peacefully. Apart from ensuring a smooth flow of traffic, 98 per cent of idols were immersed by 10.30 am, which is three-and-a-half hours earlier than the 2023 immersion record. Once immersion was completed, all the junctions and flyover were cleared for the commuters.

Khairatabad Ganesh immersion was completed on schedule. It started by 6.30 am and was immersed by 1.30 pm on Tuesday and the last Ganesha idol from Old City passed off Nayapul by 10.30 pm last night, Anand said.

“We completed the immersion programme according to a plan that we had chalked out at the Necklace Road as well as IMAX by arranging a parking lot for the idols and cleared the route for the general public,” Anand said.

He said the entire procession would have been completed by 6.30 am on Wednesday. However, due to the breakdown of some tuskers at Abids, Osmangunj and other parts of city, the procession was delayed for four to five hours.

Apart from 15,000 city police personnel, he said an additional 10,000 police personnel were deployed for the immersion bandobast during the 11 days.

“On behalf of the government, I personally thank each and every police for ensuring immersion remained smooth and peaceful. I also thank GHMC and TSSPDCL personnel, who watched the procession from the war-rooms and acted on any sort of obstructions, the commissioner said.

He also thanked each and every officer from HMDA, RTO, GHMC, TSSPDCL who contributed to the police efforts to conduct the Nimajannam peacefully.

Considering Wednesday being a working day, we cleared all junctions and flyovers in the city by 10.30 am for commuters and job goers, the commissioner said.

It is reported that 26,548 idols have been immersed at the IDL pond in Moosapet. Similarly, 4,760 idols were immersed at NTR Marg, 4,500 idols at Necklace Road and over 6,312 idols in Alwal Kothacheruvu, police sources disclosed.