Traffic Jams Linger After Immersion in Hyd

Hyderabad:Despite the peaceful conclusion of the Ganesh immersion with minimal incidents, traffic issues in Hyderabad lingered on, particularly within the city’s commissionerate limits. The slow movement of vehicles across several areas was attributed to various factors, including ongoing traffic restrictions, the cleanup process, and the delay in removing festival pandals.

Heavy vehicles returning from the immersion (nimajjanam) processions caused traffic jams in the morning in areas like PTI, Ayodhya Junction, Nirankari, and Shadan College towards the VV Statue. The traffic congestion worsened as several immersion processions were still going on, particularly in the North Zone, leading to jams from YMCA, SBI Crossroads, and Paradise Crossroads towards Rasoolpura, Gopalapuram, and Begumpet.

The immersion processions also caused vehicle slowdowns in parts of the city, including Basheer Bagh, Old CP Office, Café Bahar Hotel, and Old MLA Quarters towards King Koti. Idols being transported for immersion were given priority on one side of the road, while vehicles from Liberty were diverted towards Khairatabad, leading to heavy traffic near Khairatabad. Commuters on the Lakdikapul to Secretariat route experienced long delays, with some spending over 30 minutes to cover just 1 km.

In the Liberty Road area, morning traffic was exacerbated as civic workers cleared trash left on the streets, while pandals that continued providing food and water until the evening caused additional congestion in the afternoon. Tent pipes strewn across BRKR Bhavan Road also hindered traffic flow, contributing to light traffic throughout the day.

A live wire hanging near Rasoolpura Metro Station caused a 15-minute traffic standstill in the afternoon. Additionally, a sudden power outage occurred near Tank Bund between 6 and 6.30 pm, adding to the disruptions.

Ambulances faced significant delays as well. Throughout the festival, ambulances carrying patients were often stuck in the processions, and providing clear passage to them proved difficult in many cases.