Security ramped up for Ganesh nimajjanam

CITY SET TO WITNESS ELEPHANTINE RIDE TODAY

• More than 15,000 security personnel deployed
• Bomb squads, sniffer dogs pressed into service
• 800 cameras installed on the procession route

Hyderabad: City Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma on Tuesday said that more than 15,000 security personnel have been deployed for the smooth conduct of the Ganesh idol immersions in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Speaking to mediapersons he said, “Over 15,000 security personnel from State police including 13 companies of paramilitary forces are deployed to ensure peaceful culmination of the final mammoth procession. Security has been beefed up following an alert issued by the central intelligence agencies about a possible terror attack.”

The ten-day long Ganesh festival comes to an end on Wednesday (Ananta Chaturdasi). To prevent any untoward incidents, 32 bomb disposal squads including 25 sniffer dogs, under-carriage mirrors were pressed into service, Sharma said.

Special pickets were set up at 290 hyper-sensitive and 580 sensitive areas in the city, he informed. Additional police would also keep a close eye on the procession routes with 800 CCTV cameras being installed that would monitor from a 'Command and Control Centre' and would keep a strict watch on troublemakers, beside 390 mobile patrolling teams and anti-sabotage team would also supplement the security arrangements. Over 50,000 small and big Ganesh idols are expected to be immersed in Hussain Sagar Lake and other water bodies.

Meanwhile, Minister for Major Irrigation P Sudarshan Reddy, who reviewed the immersion, asked the major irrigation officials to assist th police officials.He said that the government has released Rs 3.76 crore for placing 322 heavy proclainers and 22 mobile earthmovers at 21 water bodies in twin cities