HYDERABAD: The new Ganesh idol immersion venue, Vinayaksagar inside Indira Park, Lower Tank Bund, will have to be extended, covering the entrance (from Indira Gandhi's statue) of the park and even the space opposite the gate in order to accommodate immersion of nearly 30,000 idols every season. The entire park, including the lake, which is in a pathetic condition, will have to be revamped.
Experts say that de-watering the lake and filling it will take a season. T. Hanumantha Rao, the retired engineer-in-chief of the AP government and consultant to the United Nations (operation project services), said, “Vinayaksagar will have to have adequate space in order to accommodate the increasing number of idols and it should have sufficient quantity of water to submerge the idols.
The area around the park, right from Tank Bund to the NTR Stadium Road, should be refurbished. The water can be obtained from the sewerage treatment plants of Hussainsagar.
The owing agency will have to form a lake with banks, and excavation would take a season (working period of six months). Around 12 acre will be needed.”
The Supreme Court, around five years ago, had directed the AP government to find an alternative venue for Ganesh immersion following the increasing pollution at Tank Bund.
The government had then planed to construct a cemented pond on the other side of the MMTS track opposite Sanjeevaiah Park.
The government had appointed a retired judge who had suggested that all idols should be 3 feet high. However, several organizations had disagreed and the proposal was dropped.
“Considering the height and the number of idols that are immersed, it will be difficult for the Vinayaksagar to accommodate all of them,” said S. Jeevananda Reddy, city-based lake expert.
