As the public get ready to celebrate Vinayaka Chathurthi next week, the Tiruchi Rural Police are gearing up for the festival that falls on August 31. Routes through which the idols would be taken before they are immersed in waterbodies are being chalked out.
The number of public spots for installation of idols of Lord Vinayaka on the day of the festival have also been identified all over the district.
Ahead of the festival, law enforcers convened meetings with the organisers of the idol installation committees and Hindu front functionaries at the police station-level, sub-divisional-level and by the Superintendent of Police driving home to the participants the safety measures to be taken for the idols to be installed before they are immersed in waterbodies and to adhere to the stipulated guidelines besides seeking their cooperation for the immersion of idols in a smooth manner.
The Tiruchi Rural Police have identified “hyper-sensitive” and “sensitive” places in the district where the idols are to be taken out in a procession for immersion on different dates. Police sources said a little over 900 public spots have been identified in the five sub divisions: Jeeyapuram, Tiruverumbur, Musiri and Manapparai for installation of idols.
Nearly one third of the identified spots falls under the Musiri sub division encompassing Musiri, Thottiyam, Kattuputhur, Thathiengarpet, Jambunathapuram, Thuraiyur and Uppiliapuram police stations. In a few places, the immersion of idols is to take place on the day of the festival itself.
Majority of the idols installed in the district are to be immersed on September 2 and some on September 4 and 6. The sources said Thuvarankurichi, Puthanatham and Kolakudi have been identified as “hyper sensitive”, while five other places have been identified as “sensitive” . Flag marches would be conducted ahead of the festival and additional strength would be mobilised for deployment in “hyper sensitive” and “sensitive” places on the day of procession of idols, the sources further said.
Guidelines for immersion
Meanwhile, official sources said the idols had to be immersed only in the places notified in the district. Idols made of only natural, bio-degradable, eco-friendly raw material without any toxic and inorganic raw materials such as traditional virtuous clay and mud would be permitted for safe immersion in waterbodies in order not to pollute the environment.
