Tank Bund tense as Ganesh organisers protest immersion restrictions
Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at Tank Bund on Monday after members of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi removed barricades erected to prevent Ganesh idol immersion from the stretch and protested against the restrictions.
Members of the organisation reached Tank Bund and pulled down iron barricades installed along the railing, according to local reports. Police personnel deployed at the spot intervened as the protesters raised slogans against the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and demanded that immersion be permitted from Tank Bund.
Some protesters were taken into preventive custody after they attempted to stage a sit-in. Police presence was increased in the area as officials sought to prevent the situation from escalating.
The dispute comes days before Hyderabad’s main Ganesh immersion procession, scheduled for September 25. The GHMC and Hyderabad police have said they aim to complete the immersion exercise in a single day, with additional cranes and upgraded platforms planned around Hussain Sagar. Officials have identified 38 immersion locations around the lake and plan to increase the number of cranes from 15 to 20.
The restriction does not amount to a complete ban on immersion around Hussain Sagar. Designated facilities are available at NTR Marg, People’s Plaza and Necklace Road, while artificial ponds have been created for Plaster of Paris idols.
The Telangana High Court had directed authorities not to permit idol immersion from Tank Bund and barred Plaster of Paris idols from being immersed in Hussain Sagar and other natural water bodies. It asked authorities to provide special ponds and allow immersion from designated sides of the lake.
The court’s directions were linked to pollution, traffic and crowd-management concerns. The restrictions have repeatedly drawn opposition from festival organisers, who maintain that Tank Bund is a traditional immersion point.
Further details on Monday’s protest and any cases registered were awaited.