Hyderabad: The 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival this year turned out to be a well-organised affair. State government agencies the city police, traffic wing, GHMC and irrigation department, all had a role to play in the plan. The immersion process, unlike in earlier years, started as early as 7 am on Tuesday and went on till the late hours.
The most number of idols were immersed on the final day — around 90,000 in Hussainsagar and other water bodies in Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda.
The procession in the Old City leading to MJ Market was cleared by 10 pm on Tuesday. There were nearly 1,700 Ganesh idols joining the main immersion from South zone (old city).
No untoward incident was reported in any part of the city. Since the two-km route of the Khairatabad Ganesh was cleared by 2 pm, other idols could be immersed earlier and quicker.
Balapur idol immersed before sunset
The Balapur Ganesh idol, another of the city’s popular Ganesh idols, reached Charminar before dusk and was immersed before sunset. Small and big, in various avatars, on lorries, cars, autos, motorbikes, atop jeeps, on pushcarts and even on mini trolleys, Lord Ganesha made his way towards the several immersion points.
At Tank Bund, the epicentre of the immersions, colourful crowds of youth associations, apartment associations, Ganesh Utsav committees of different localities, families, and friends bid farewell to the Lord.
On the main route, over 2,000 metric tonnes of festival waste was littered. This is half the quantum the city generates on an average day.
In 23 mini ponds, all idols below 15 feet were immersed and the visarjan tanks proved to be helpful.
At Saroornagar Lake, 3,700 idols were immersed. By placing cranes at tanks, authorities were able to divert people to the ponds. At 13 tanks, 3,200 idols measuring 15 feet were immersed, while the total count crossed 23 ponds for 9,200 idols, since the very first day of Ganesh Chathurti.
Unlike earlier years, immersion fervour did not restrict itself to the Tank Bund.
