Hyderabad: Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar on Wednesday directed all departments to coordinate closely for Hyderabad Ganesh immersion and complete critical safety measures before the procession.
Sajjanar chaired a comprehensive inter-departmental coordination meeting at Visvesvaraya Bhavan in Khairatabad on Wednesday evening. The meeting reviewed arrangements for Ganesh idol installations, festival celebrations and the immersion procession across the city.
Officials discussed policing, electricity safety, road conditions, healthcare, sanitation, drinking water, traffic, cranes and public transport. Sajjanar asked departments to take proactive preventive measures based on their experience during the previous five years.
He specifically ordered the immediate removal of loose and hanging electricity, cable and internet wires obstructing procession routes. Officials were told to maintain adequate height clearance along routes to prevent incidents similar to the one reported in Ramanthapur.
Hyderabad Ganesh immersion routes face road-work deadline
Sajjanar directed officials to complete ongoing road, nala and slab works along main and feeder procession routes before September 14 or 15. Moreover, authorities were told not to begin new road digging, drilling or cable-laying works until the immersion process ended.
Officials were also asked to expedite the shifting of electricity poles because of ongoing Metro construction work in the Old City. The Commissioner stressed electrical safety at Ganesh mandaps. Organisers had to receive safe electricity connections in accordance with regulations.
Mandatory earthing had to be completed, while necessary approvals had to be obtained from the Electrical Inspectorate. Electricity officials were instructed to remain in continuous communication with the police.
They were also asked to inform local police before carrying out power shutdowns or wire-clearance operations. The Health Department was asked to establish 26 special medical camps across Hyderabad district.
Dedicated medical camps were also planned in the Balapur area. These facilities were to have ambulances and round-the-clock paramedical staff. Meanwhile, HMWS&SB and GHMC officials were asked to maintain uninterrupted drinking water supplies throughout the festival period.
Authorities were also directed to ensure robust sanitation arrangements. For traffic management, officials were asked to identify and prepare adequate parking and vehicle holding areas.
TSRTC and Transport Department authorities were directed to arrange sufficient buses and goods vehicles. They were also asked to ensure the availability of required drivers.
Authorities had to submit detailed shift-wise lists of static and mobile cranes to the police in advance. The lists were required to include crane operators, supervisors and maintenance teams.
Hyderabad Ganesh immersion transport extended on final day
Officials also reviewed public communication measures for major Ganesh idols. Important announcements, including queue-closing times for prominent idols such as Bada Ganesh, were to receive wide publicity.
Authorities planned to disseminate the information through television ticker scrolls and press notifications. Special public transport arrangements were also planned for the final immersion day on September 25.
Metro Rail services were scheduled to operate until 1 am. In addition, MMTS trains were planned to operate overnight. The overnight MMTS arrangements would connect key stations, including Nampally, Lakdi-ka-pul, Khairatabad, Sanjeevaiah Park, James Street and Begumpet.
Additional Commissioner of Police for Law and Order Tafseer Iqubal attended the coordination meeting. GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan, Joint Commissioner of Police for Traffic D. Joel Davis and Joint CP, Special Branch, S.M. Vijay Kumar also participated.
Joint Commissioner of Police, Future City, Chandana Deepti attended along with senior police officers. Officers of DCP rank and above from Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Malkajgiri and Future City Commissionerates participated in the review.
Senior representatives from HYDRAA, TSRTC, Fire Services, I&PR, Transport, Tourism, Health and Roads and Buildings also attended. Officials from TGSPDCL, HMWS&SB, HMDA, Metro Rail and MMTS detailed their respective arrangements. The Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy District Collectors also participated in the meeting.