Hyderabad: HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath on Thursday clarified that Ganesh idol immersion faced no blanket restrictions in lakes across Hyderabad. He urged citizens not to believe misinformation circulating on social media about immersion during the festival.
Ranganath said HYDRAA had never opposed immersion in lakes being restored or developed under its supervision. Instead, he said restrictions applied only to four or five lakes notified by the Central Government.
The Commissioner said Ameenpur Lake had been recognised as the country’s first biodiversity heritage site. Meanwhile, the Central Government had designated Kapra Lake as a natural wetland.
Ranganath said Kapra Lake currently had no water. Therefore, he appealed to Ganesh festival committees to avoid immersing idols in the lake.
Ganesh idol immersion to continue in other lakes
Ranganath said Ganesh idol immersion would continue as usual in other lakes across Hyderabad. He reiterated that HYDRAA had imposed no restrictions on immersion in water bodies undergoing restoration by the agency.
At the same time, HYDRAA was creating special “Baby Ponds” for idol immersion. The initiative was aimed at protecting major water bodies while minimising inconvenience to festival organisers.
The Commissioner again appealed to citizens not to rely on misleading information circulating through social media. He also sought cooperation from Ganesh festival committees over the immersion arrangements.
Ranganath urged citizens and organisers to cooperate with the authorities during the festival. He said such cooperation would help ensure peaceful and eco-friendly Ganesh celebrations across the city.