Hyderabad: Telangana DGP C.V. Anand said Ganesh idol processions and immersions were underway across the state as of 7 PM. He said activity had increased significantly in Hyderabad City and the CURE area since evening.
According to registrations on the Ganesh Idols Portal, around 1.24 lakh idols had been installed at public places across Telangana. These locations required traffic management and bandobust arrangements, while around 80,000 idols had already been immersed.
Of the 32,000 idols lined up for immersion since morning, about 6,350 had been immersed by 7 PM. Meanwhile, the total number of idols, including those installed in apartments, communities and individual homes, was estimated at 3.5 lakh to 4 lakh.
The DGP said Hyderabad City remained the primary focus because of the scale of the Shobayatra and public participation. Processions began later this year, keeping Friday prayers in mind, and gathered pace from around 5 PM.
Police deployed 13 drones, high-rise cameras and thousands of CCTV cameras to monitor the processions and immersions. In addition, police teams, crane operators and personnel from other government departments were mobilised across key locations.
Telangana Ganesh immersions continue amid safety concerns
Police teams were working through the night to facilitate maximum immersions and restore traffic on Tank Bund and Khairatabad Flyover by 11 AM the following morning. The DGP said the processions and immersions had remained peaceful so far.
However, the DGP said one SI and 12 civilians had lost their lives in immersion-related incidents over the past 10 days. He also said 26 people had suffered injuries during the same period.
The DGP appealed to mandap organisers, devotees and citizens to cooperate with authorities and complete the immersions at the earliest. He also urged people to travel carefully, as rain could leave roads slippery, and asked everyone to reach home safely.