Hyderabad:It seemed like an endless wait for hundreds of trucks that were forced to remain in long queues around Hussainsagar as the immersion spilled over to Wednesday.
"Flow of traffic is the reason," said a lady police officer posted at People’s Plaza. Although, traffic gradually returned to normal in some areas, Necklace road and its surroundings remained blocked. As for meals, the police provided lunch at 1 pm and dinner at 8 pm for all those in queues.
Meanwhile, as trucks returned after the immersion, the roads were left with the remnants of celebration- cardboard pieces, thermocol props, discarded bamboo poles from dismantled pandals, paper confetti and an assortment of abandoned shoes, used plates and other plastic waste. These were found not only around tank bund but all over the city.
Indeed, water packets were hard to miss not only at government stalls but also those strewn along roadsides. Clearing the debris seemed to be the responsibility of GHMC workers, with around 15 people deployed at each spot, working in shifts to manage the cleanup.
The scene at Hussainsagar was largely dominated by men, but occasionally, groups of women could be spotted. One such group from Gowliguda consisted mostly of young girls dressed in pink and white kurtas. The boys too wore similar clothes and strikingly, so did their Ganesh idol.
Another group, the Shama Nivas community from Mallepally stood out in their coordinated kurtas, worn by men, women and children. In fact, children from the group remained oblivious of the scorching heat.
Ajay Kumar, an aged cab driver, came to tank bund with his wife to watch the final day’s proceedings. When asked if this was a date, the two shyly laughed it off, saying, "We’re just here to enjoy the merriment." With their children away working and studying, they found their small moments of joy together on days like this.
