Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi Removes Tank Bund Barricades, Calls for Idol Immersion
Irate members came to Tank Bund and started removing iron barricades fixed to the railing. Raising slogans, they removed barricades even though the police tried to stop them on Tank Bund
Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at Tank Bund on Monday after members of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi (BGUS) were arrested for removing temporary barricades erected to prevent the immersion of plaster of Paris (PoP) idols of Lord Ganesh at the Hussainsagar and called upon mandap organisers to bring idols to the lake for immersion as usual.
The barricades had been put up as part of measures to enforce High Court directions against the immersion of PoP idols in the water body.
Protesting the restrictions, BGUS members raised slogans against the state government and alleged that preventing immersion from Tank Bund interfered with age-old traditions and hurt the sentiments of lakhs of Hindus. Police detained several protesters and released them later.
The Samiti claimed that around 70,000 Ganesh idols are immersed at Tank Bund every year.
BGUS general secretary Dr Ravinutala Shashidhar, who spoke to mediapersons before being detained, accused the GHMC of failing to make arrangements for the immersion.
“The GHMC has not arranged cranes for immersion so far, while the authorities are trying to stop immersion at Tank Bund. If the GHMC fails to arrange cranes, the BGUS will make the arrangements,” he said.
Shashidhar also accused the Pollution Control Board of misleading people by attributing pollution in the Hussainsagar to Ganesh idol immersion. He claimed that industrial effluents and sewage discharged into the lake were responsible for its pollution.
Advocate Mamidi Venu Madhav, who had approached the Telangana High Court over the immersion issue, called upon the state government to implement the court's 2021 directions on protecting water bodies and preserving ecology.
Madhav alleged that the government and its authorities had failed to issue the necessary proceedings to implement the directions. He urged the Chief Secretary to issue orders clearly defining the responsibilities of various departments for ensuring eco-friendly immersion.
He also asked the police and GHMC to initiate criminal action against those carrying out immersions in violation of the High Court directions.
This newspaper contacted the additional commissioner of police (law and order) and the Central Zone DCP for details of measures being taken to prevent the immersion of PoP idols at Tank Bund. Their responses were awaited at the time of filing.
