The Ganesh immersion, scheduled for Friday, will proceed amidst an significant increase in constabulary.
As many as 9,523 idols, that are over 3 feet tall, will be immersed on Friday and Saturday. Tight security arrangements have been made on the procession route that stretches for 19 km., beginning in Balapur, and culminating at Hussainsagar.
According to Hyderabad City Police Commissioner C V Anand, who inspected procession routes on Thursday, as many as 24,132 security personnel will be deployed. Apart from the city police, personnel have been drawn from districts and allied branches, he explained.
The movement of the main procession, as well as tributary processions, will be closely monitored by means of the exhaustive network of CCTV cameras. Special squads and other real-time feeds will also be acting as input. Mr Anand urged all department officers to work together and ensure that they remain in coordination.
The exhaustive CCTV network will be augmented by another 739 cameras along the main procession routes. As many as 10 drones will monitor across zones. Two mobile command control centres for close supervision and 4 camera mounted vehicles have been pressed into service.
Multiple Quick Response Teams, dog squads, and anti-chain snatching teams, and SHE Teams will also be stationed.
Pandal organisers and the public have been requested to cooperate with the police and other volunteers. Traffic restrictions are in place for smooth movement.
Meanwhile, Cyberabad Commissioner Stephen Ravindra, who took stock of the security arrangements, pointed out that 10,510 idols were installed in the commissionerate limits, and around 8,000 personnel will be deployed during immersion. Of the 35 waterbodies, 23 are in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits and the remaining are in the jurisdiction of district collectorates.
Rachakonda Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said that several ponds, baby ponds and lakes have been notified for immersion and requested devotees to immerse idols only in water bodies that the government has cleared for immersion. All arrangements are in place, he said.
