Ganesh immersion in Hyderabad's Hussain Sagar continues for second day

Hyderabad, Sep 29 (IANS) Immersion of Ganesh idols in Hyderabad’s Hussain Sagar lake continued for a second day on Friday.

Hundreds of trucks carrying idols were still lined up around the lake in the heart of the city.

The immersion procession, which began Thursday morning, was continuing even after 24 hours amid tight security.

The idols were waiting for immersion at NTR Marg and Tank Bund. A large number of big idols were brought to the lake from various parts of Hyderabad and Secunderabad after midnight.

The idols were still reaching the lake through Liberty, Basheerbagh, Abids, Lakdi Ka Pul and other busy areas in the central part of the city.

For a second consecutive day, traffic restrictions continued on Tank Bund, which connects the twin cities, Telugu Talli flyover, Secretariat road, NTR Marg and other roads surrounding the lake. Vehicles were being diverted at various points.

Officials said heavy rains that lashed the city on Thursday evening resulted in the delay in immersion.

Police officials expect the immersion process to be completed in the afternoon.

Thousands of idols were immersed in Hussain Sagar and other lakes and ponds in the Telangana capital. According to officials, as many as 19, 870 idols were immersed till 6 a.m.

Meanwhile, hundreds of sanitation workers of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) were busy clearing garbage from the roads surrounding Hussain Sagar.

Removal of debris from the lake will start once the immersion is completed.

For a third consecutive year, immersion of PoP idols was prohibited. The High Court had directed the state government on Monday to ensure that no idols made of PoP are immersed in either Hussain Sagar or any other water bodies in Hyderabad.

The authorities were directed to ensure that the idols made of PoP were immersed only in the baby ponds created by the GHMC.

The municipal authorities created 74 baby ponds to facilitate immersion of PoP idols.

For immersion in Hussain Sagar, authorities deployed 36 cranes. Three boats and 100 swimmers were also kept ready to deal with any eventuality. About 3,000 sanitation workers were deployed.

 The mammoth procession passed off peacefully on Thursday. The main procession, which started from Balapur on the southern fringes of the city, reached Hussain Sagar in the afternoon after covering a distance of about 20 km.

More than 40,000 policemen were deployed in the Telangana capital for immersion including the main procession which passed through communally sensitive old city.

Several tributary processions joined the main procession, claimed to be the biggest gathering for immersion after Mumbai.

A total of 20,600 CCTV cameras were installed and five drone teams were deployed as part of the massive security arrangements for the immersion procession.

As the Ganesh immersion coincided with Milad-un-Nabi, police had made additional security arrangements.

In a gesture to maintain communal harmony, Muslim organizations postponed Milad procession to Sunday.