VISAKHAPATNAM: Incessant rains over the past two days have reportedly led to tilting of the giant 89-feet Ganesh idol established in old Gajuwaka of Visakhapatnam. Thousands of devotees, including many from surrounding villages, have been visiting this idol since the festival began.
Perceiving possible threat to devotees, Gajuwaka police reached the spot on Saturday morning with engineers of Roads and Buildings. They found the giant statue tilting to the left by about a foot as also cracks in the tummy and trunk regions. It is suspected the tilt has come about as length of casuarina scaffolding posts supporting the idol is lesser on this side.
“I myself have found the frame supporting the idol tilting to the left. As it is continuing to rain, I have advised the organisers to complete nimajjanam of the idol at the earliest,” area circle inspector K. Srinivasa Rao told Deccan Chronicle. R&B engineers too gave a similar suggestion to avoid any untoward incident.
“We made some arrangements by using winch ropes and suggested the organisers to erect statue next year in the presence of engineers,’’ executive engineer of R and B Ch. Ramesh told this correspondent
However, SV Entertainers chairman K. Ganesh Kumar, who has been organising the Ganesh fete in Gajuwaka for the past 11 years, maintained that the idol is not tilting. “Since we asked permission to keep the idol till September 18 but rains have started, police consulted R&B engineers and asked us to conduct immediate nimajjanam,” Ganesh said.
“I have not found the idol tilting or with any cracks,” said Kolli Siva Prasad, a dealer of edible oils in the industrial belt of Gajuwaka.
As a precautionary measure, Gajuwaka police have, in an official letter, told organisers not to allow any devotees within 100 feet of the statue from any side. They have suggested that cranes and ropes be deployed to prevent the idol from further tilting because of the rains.
Police have gone on to warn the organisers that if they do not follow the advice given to them by R&B engineers, the organisers will be held responsible for any untoward developments that may occur.
It is stated that though organisers are keen on having the statue in situ till September 18, they will perform the nimajjanam on Sunday afternoon with the help of fire tenders.
In the interim, members of the Utsav committee told reporters that certain elements are spreading rumours about the tilting of the giant idol.
