Hyderabad has deployed about 30,000 police personnel and expanded aerial and camera surveillance as the immersion of Ganesh idols takes place across the city and other parts of Telangana, with devotees gathering at Hussainsagar, Tank Bund and other waterbodies on Friday.
The immersion marks the culmination of the Vinayaka Chaviti festivities that began on September 14. Idols were brought to designated waterbodies in decorated vehicles, while police and civic authorities managed security, crowd movement and traffic regulation along the procession routes.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar inspected arrangements at Tank Bund and said comprehensive security measures had been put in place to ensure that the immersion festivities and procession proceeded smoothly. Police said the arrangements covered security, crowd management and traffic regulation across the city.
More than 10,000 CCTV cameras are being used for surveillance. The police have also deployed 24 advanced drones and nearly 100 high-rise cameras along major thoroughfares. These systems are intended to monitor crowd density and facilitate automated counting of idols moving through the procession network.
Personnel equipped with high-powered binoculars and wireless communication sets have been positioned on rooftops of elevated buildings along the routes. The deployment gives authorities visibility over major movement corridors and allows them to monitor crowd conditions during the peak period of the immersion procession.
The Khairatabad Ganesh idol remained the main attraction of this year’s festivities in Telangana. The idol installed at the Khairatabad pandal was 69 feet tall and was named Pancha Mukha Sankata Hara Maha Ganapati. Its immersion formed part of the wider citywide operation involving multiple procession routes and waterbodies.
Idol immersions had begun on the third day of the festivities and were continuing peacefully across Hyderabad, according to the report. The main immersion activity and procession were scheduled to culminate on Friday, with police arrangements remaining in place for the duration of the operation.
