Hyderabad: Elaborate arrangements have been made at Hussain Sagar, particularly along Necklace Road and Tank Bund, to ensure the smooth conduct of Ganesh idol immersion. According to Ramesh Kumar, ACP and senior supervisor officer of GHMC, the immersion process is being carried out in three shifts per day.

To ensure the immersion activity proceeds without disruption, officials have drawn up a clear and detailed shift-wise plan. Each shift has been carefully scheduled with a set of responsibilities. For instance, in the shift directly supervised by Ramesh Kumar, as many as eight members have been deployed exclusively to oversee the arrangements and take charge of various immersion-related responsibilities. This is just one part of the larger workforce. When the strength of all three shifts is put together, nearly more than 80 members have been mobilised to handle the massive task of managing the immersion process at Hussain Sagar.

One of the most crucial components of these arrangements has been the deployment of cranes at major immersion points.

These cranes, placed at strategic locations, are being used to carefully handle the idols and ensure the process is smooth, safe, and efficient. At People’s Plaza, six cranes have been stationed, while at NTR Park Road, as many as twelve have been arranged. Smaller yet equally significant arrangements have been made at other locations as well. At the baby pond, two cranes have been provided, while another two cranes have been stationed at HMDA Park. Additionally, two more cranes have been placed beside Jalavihar Park, thereby covering every critical zone along Necklace Road and Tank Bund.

According to officials, these arrangements reflect not just the scale of the immersion process but also the meticulous planning that has gone into making it successful. The overall objective, officials emphasised, is to ensure that the immersion is completed in an organised, safe, and timely manner.

GHMC Commissioner R V Karnan said that the civic body has taken extensive measures not only at Hussain Sagar but across Greater Hyderabad. Special arrangements have been put in place for idol immersion at 20 major lakes in the city.

In addition to this, 72 artificial ponds have been specially set up in different parts of the city to cater to the growing number of immersions and to reduce the load on primary water bodies.

The Commissioner informed that a total of 134 permanent cranes and 259 mobile cranes have been installed across various lakes and immersion points. To support the immersion activity after sunset, 56,187 temporary lights have been arranged across the city. Further strengthening the arrangements, support has been extended from the Hyderabad Police and the Tourism Department.

At Hussain Sagar, nine boats have been kept ready for emergency and operational purposes, along with Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams and 200 trained swimmers stationed around the lake.

Thirteen control rooms have also been set up to coordinate the operations in real-time. The main procession route extends for nearly 303.3 kilometres, and to manage this, as many as 160 Ganesh Action Teams (GATs) have been deployed.

Sanitation has also been given equal priority, with 14,486 sanitation workers working in three shifts round the clock to keep the immersion sites and procession routes clean and functional.

The Commissioner also shared that by September 2, around 1,21,905 Ganesh idols had already been immersed across the city. On September 6 alone, nearly 50,000 idols are expected to be brought for immersion.

Officials concluded that this year’s arrangements, with the combined efforts of GHMC, Hyderabad Police, the Tourism Department, and other agencies, have been designed to ensure that the spirit of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations remains intact while also maintaining safety, order, and civic responsibility throughout the immersion process.