Hyderabad Announces Traffic Curbs And 74 Ponds For Ganesh Immersion
Hyderabad, 5 September 2025: The city is preparing for one of its largest annual gatherings as lakhs of devotees are expected to participate in Ganesh idol immersion on 6 September. To ensure smooth mobility and public safety, city authorities have announced extensive traffic restrictions and sustainable immersion arrangements across Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
The curbs will be in place from 6 a.m. on Saturday until late evening on Sunday and may extend if required.The main immersion procession, beginning from Balapur, will pass through Keshavagiri, Chandrayangutta, Falaknuma, Charminar, Afzalgunj, Abids and Basheerbagh before reaching Necklace Road via NTR Marg and PVNR Marg. Processions from Secunderabad, Uppal, Mehdipatnam, Tolichowki, Erragadda and Asifnagar will converge on the route. Only vehicles carrying idols will be permitted along these stretches, with private and commercial vehicles diverted to alternate corridors including the Inner Ring Road, Outer Ring Road and the Masab Tank–Punjagutta–Begumpet axis.
Diversions are planned at major junctions such as Chaderghat, Afzalgunj, Liberty, RTC X Roads, Paradise and Tank Bund. Parking for devotees has been earmarked at designated lots including NTR Stadium, Public Gardens and Khairatabad MMTS station to reduce roadside congestion. Officials have also clarified that heavy commercial vehicles, lorries and trailers will be barred from entering city limits between Saturday morning and late Sunday night.Public transport will face modifications too. City buses will halt at peripheral entry points like Tarnaka, Ramanthapur and Masab Tank, while inter-state and district buses will be rerouted to reach terminals through alternate corridors. Private travel buses have been instructed to operate from outside city limits to keep inner zones decongested.
In a move reflecting the city’s push towards sustainable practices, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has created 74 artificial ponds to ease the burden on Hussainsagar and other major water bodies. These include portable tanks, temporary excavated ponds and permanent baby ponds distributed across all zones. Each pond will be staffed with nodal officers, sanitation workers, cranes and medical teams to ensure safe immersion, waste removal and minimal disruption to the urban environment.
Officials explained that by diverting thousands of idols to these decentralised facilities, Hyderabad can significantly cut down on water pollution while still preserving the spiritual essence of the festival. The plan also reduces crowd pressure at Hussainsagar, which traditionally handles the largest share of immersions.The extensive traffic and immersion strategy highlights how large cultural events in Indian cities increasingly require a blend of traditional reverence and modern civic planning. With lakhs expected to pour into the streets this weekend, Hyderabad is banking on coordination between police, civic authorities and citizens to balance faith with sustainability and safety.
