Over 43,700 Ganesh idols immersed across four commissionerates in Hyderabad

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Banners put up by GHMC and Hyderabad City Police at Tank Bund stating 'No Idol Immersion on Tank Bund' as per the orders of the Telangana High Court. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

With the main Ganesh idol immersion still a week away, as many as 43,763 idols have already made their way into water bodies across Hyderabad and its surrounding areas. A total of 43,763 immersions have been recorded across the four police commissionerates as of Friday, with the number expected to rise sharply before the main immersion on September 25.

Cyberabad accounts for the largest share with 21,944 idols, followed by Malkajgiri with 11,629, Hyderabad with around 10,000 and Future City with around 200.

The final count is likely to be considerably higher as several idols, particularly smaller ones, are not formally registered or intimated to the police or municipal authorities and are taken directly to immersion points.

In Malkajgiri, 11,629 idols were immersed between September 14 and 6 a.m. on Friday. Of these, 8,389 were below three feet and 3,240 were three feet or taller. Malkajgiri zone accounted for 6,301 immersions, followed by L.B. Nagar with 3,412 and Uppal with 1,916.

Hasmathpet Lake alone handled 3,274 idols, while Alwal Lake recorded 1,810. At Saroornagar, 2,193 idols were immersed in the lake and another 609 at the artificial pond at Government College Ground behind the municipal office.

Around 9,000 idol processions from Malkajgiri are expected to head towards Hyderabad through the Patny, Begumpet and YMCA corridors. Around 1,200 traffic personnel are planned for deployment, with Uppal X Road, L.B. Nagar X Road, Habsiguda, ECIL X Road, Paradise, Patny, Maredpally, CTO, Rasoolpura and YMCA among the key procession and traffic points.

In Hyderabad, Hussain Sagar remains a major destination for immersions, though immersion from Tank Bund is prohibited following court directions. Despite the restriction and posters put up by the police, people carrying smaller idols have continued to arrive there. A video on social media also showed some people scaling the fencing to throw idols into the lake.

“We are discouraging and counselling them, asking them to go to People’s Plaza to a designated place,” Khairatabad Zone DCP K. Shilpavalli said.

The prohibition is specific to Tank Bund and does not cover Hussain Sagar as a whole. Necklace Road, NTR Marg and People’s Plaza are among the approved immersion areas. GHMC has identified 47 immersion locations and water bodies, with baby ponds and excavation tanks also being used.

Traffic restrictions are already in force around the Khairatabad Bada Ganesh until September 24. Rajeev Gandhi Statue, Rajdoot Lane, Mint Compound, Necklace Rotary and Khairatabad Post Office are among the major diversion points.

The principal Balapur-Hussain Sagar procession on September 25 will pass through Chandrayangutta, Falaknuma, Charminar and M.J. Market towards Hussain Sagar.