Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner R V Karnan has urged the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi and government officials to extend their cooperation to ensure the forthcoming Ganesh festival is held in a peaceful atmosphere. The festival is scheduled to commence on August 27 and conclude on September 6.

On Monday, a preparatory coordination meeting was convened at the GHMC headquarters, involving senior officials from the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi and concerned departments to discuss the arrangements for the festival.

Karnan stated that repairs are currently underway for roads that were damaged by heavy rains within the city limits. He added that roads on the national highways where Ganesh idol processions are set to occur will also be repaired. Furthermore, he indicated that more cranes will be deployed than last year to facilitate a smooth and swift immersion process, following directives from the police department. The Commissioner informed the members of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi that there are no budgetary issues for the festival, and additional funds will be allocated compared to previous years for various activities and logistical support. Karnan mentioned that coordination meetings will take place within zonal limits to ensure the festival runs smoothly and that past shortcomings would be addressed to prevent inconvenience to devotees.

Additional Commissioner (Law & Order) Vikram Singh Mann proposed several recommendations to ensure the Ganesh festival runs smoothly.

He noted that each year, the festival is celebrated without issues thanks to the collaboration between Bhagyanagar, various Ganesh Utsav Samitis, and government departments. He emphasised the importance of using high-quality materials, wiring, and logistics for the construction of Ganesh pandals and mandapams, especially considering the likelihood of heavy rainfall.

Vikram Singh requested that the installation of idols be planned according to the route map and vehicle height in advance, to prevent complications and traffic congestion caused by tall idols during the procession. He requested the installation of at least one CCTV camera at every mandapam and emphasised the need for utilising volunteer services, suggesting a minimum of three volunteers for larger mandapams. Additionally, he proposed that distinct routes be established for visitors to these larger mandapams. The officer also mentioned that if all Ganesh idol processions throughout the city, including those in Khairatabad and Balapur, commence punctually, the immersion process will proceed without any issues.

The meeting saw the presence of numerous officials, including Traffic Joint CP Joel Davis, Additional Commissioners Raghu Prasad and Subhadra, HMDA Joint Commissioner Kota Srivastava, CE Ratnakar, Electrical CE Prabhakar, and Zonal Commissioners Anurag Jayanthi, Ravi Kiran, Venkanna, Hemant Sahadeva Rao, and Apoorva Chauhan. Representatives from HMDA, HMRL, TSRTC, Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda Commissionerate Police, along with officials from the HMWSSB, Fire, Irrigation, Tourism, Health, Pollution Control Board, and Transco departments, were also present.