Hyderabad has recorded 43,763 Ganesh idol immersions across its four police commissionerates ahead of the main immersion on September 25, prompting authorities to prepare for a sharp rise in processions, traffic movement and crowd-management demands across the city and surrounding areas.
According to figures reported by The Hindu, Cyberabad accounted for the largest share with 21,944 immersions, followed by Malkajgiri with 11,629, Hyderabad with around 10,000 and Future City with around 200. The final number is expected to be higher because several smaller idols are taken directly to immersion points without being formally registered or intimated to the police or municipal authorities.
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. The Malkajgiri zone recorded 6,301 immersions, followed by L.B. Nagar with 3,412 and Uppal with 1,916. Hasmathpet Lake handled 3,274 idols, while Alwal Lake recorded 1,810. Saroornagar recorded 2,193 immersions in the lake and another 609 at an artificial pond at Government College Ground behind the municipal office.
Police expect around 9,000 processions from Malkajgiri to move towards Hyderabad through the Patny, Begumpet and YMCA corridors. Around 1,200 traffic personnel are planned for deployment at key locations including Uppal X Road, L.B. Nagar X Road, Habsiguda, ECIL X Road, Paradise, Patny, Maredpally, CTO, Rasoolpura and YMCA.
Hussain Sagar remains a major immersion destination in Hyderabad, but immersion from Tank Bund is prohibited under directions of the Telangana High Court. The Hyderabad City Police and GHMC have displayed banners announcing the restriction. Despite this, people carrying smaller idols have continued to arrive at Tank Bund. Khairatabad Zone DCP K. Shilpavalli said officials were discouraging and counselling them and directing them to People’s Plaza, a designated immersion location. The prohibition applies specifically to Tank Bund and not to Hussain Sagar as a whole. Necklace Road, NTR Marg and People’s Plaza are among the approved areas.
The GHMC has identified 47 immersion locations and water bodies, including baby ponds and excavation tanks. Traffic restrictions are already in force around the Khairatabad Bada Ganesh until September 24, with diversions planned at Rajeev Gandhi Statue, Rajdoot Lane, Mint Compound, Necklace Rotary and Khairatabad Post Office. The principal Balapur-Hussain Sagar procession on September 25 will pass through Chandrayangutta, Falaknuma, Charminar and M.J. Market. A comprehensive traffic diversion notification for the main immersion day is awaited.
In Cyberabad, 19,209 of the 21,944 idols immersed so far were below three feet, while 2,735 were three feet or taller. Fifty-three immersion locations have been identified, including IDL Lake, Pragathi Nagar Lake, Gangaram Cheruvu, Malkam Cheruvu, Durgam Cheruvu and Kokapet Kotha Cheruvu. Traffic restrictions are planned around several of these facilities, including IDL Lake, where the stretch between the IDL entrance and Rainbow Vista will be reserved for procession vehicles.
Future City recorded around 190 immersions after the process began there on Friday, with police expecting another 230 on Saturday. Residents in Ibrahimpatnam, Maheshwaram, Shadnagar, Chevella, Shabad and Moinabad have been requested to use local ponds and tanks. Police have also identified Soora Samudram Cheruvu in Amangal as an immersion point and made traffic, security and crowd-management arrangements there.
