Not just huge contingents of police forces, over 500 high definition surveillance cameras too will keep a tab on three main processions of Sri Ram Navami festival on Wednesday.
In fact, these static cameras installed along nearly 6.5-km long main procession route are the key tools - among other things - for Hyderabad police to ensure the religious event passes off peacefully. Surveillance cameras were installed on the route as part of Community CCTV project.
“Temporarily, we are installing 50-odd additional cameras on this route to ensure not an inch of space misses our sight,” a police officer said. In addition to them, five camera-mounted vehicles would be placed on the front and tail end of the processions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Video footage of all these cameras can be watched live by the men and officers at the Hyderabad police commissionerate command and control centre.
Three important processions would be taken out by different streams of right wing groups in western and eastern parts of the city.
The first one by Bhagvantha Rao of Ganesh Utsava Samithi will begin around 12.30 p.m. from Seetarambagh in Mangalhat.
ADVERTISEMENT
The second one by Anand Singh, presently a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi but actively associated with right wing groups, would start at Bada Bungalow of Anita Towers.
The biggest show, however, will be that of BJP MLA Raja Singh of Dhoolpet.
For the past few years, this legislator and his supporters - who had been slowly strengthening their base by actively involving in religious issues, were coming out with massive rally of vehicles and people on Sri Ram Navami.
Their procession would start from Lodha Bhavan in Manghalhat and join the other ones at Bada Bungalow.
Cautious and unwilling to take any chance in the backdrop of the communally sensitive situation of the city, police top brass decided to take over all main procession routes.