Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Police have launched an awareness campaign ahead of Ganesh idol immersion by putting up flex banners, boards and barricades at Hussain Sagar and other parts of the city.
The police, along with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), have displayed notices against immersion of Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP).
Restrictions on PoP Ganesh idols immersion in Hyderabad’s Hussain Sagar
The awareness drive is based on the directions issued by the Telangana High Court in 2023. The court had made it clear that PoP Ganesh idols should not be immersed in Hussain Sagar or other water bodies within Hyderabad limits.
The court has also directed officials to avoid idol immersion and the use of heavy cranes on the Upper Tank Bund side. The directions were aimed at reducing pollution and protecting water bodies.
The civic administration and other line departments are preparing additional arrangements along the Necklace Road shoreline.
More platforms and cranes are being installed on this side of Hussain Sagar to manage the centralised immersion procession. It aims to discourage the movement of Ganesh idols for immersion towards the Upper Tank Bund and Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad.
Police urge organisers to follow guidelines
The Hyderabad Police have appealed to Ganesh festival organisers to choose eco-friendly idols and follow the court orders and immersion guidelines.
For several years, the immersion of PoP idols has been under legal consideration. In 2021, the Supreme Court allowed PoP idol immersion in Hussain Sagar as a one-time exception. However, subsequent directions issued by the Telangana High Court in 2023 reiterated restrictions on immersing PoP idols in Hyderabad’s water bodies.
