Hyderabad, 23 September (H.S.): The Hyderabad City Police has made elaborate security and traffic arrangements for the final Ganesh immersion procession scheduled for September 25, with around 20,000 police personnel deployed across the city and extensive use of technology for real-time surveillance.

The immersion of idols, which began on the third day of the festival, has so far remained peaceful across Hyderabad. The police have put in place a comprehensive bandobast plan considering the expected movement of lakhs of devotees and thousands of idols from Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Malkajgiri, Future City and neighbouring districts.

The arrangements have been made in coordination with the GHMC, electricity, water, transport, fire services, health, HMDA, HYDRAA and other departments to ensure the smooth conduct of the procession and immersion.

Around 25 lakh devotees have so far visited Khairatabad Bada Ganesh, while nearly 15 lakh devotees have offered prayers at Balapur Ganesh. Special security arrangements have been made at both locations in view of the expected increase in footfall on the final day.

The Hyderabad City Police began preparations nearly three months ahead of the festival. Commissioner of Police V.C. Sajjanar held a series of coordination meetings with idol manufacturers, government departments, festival committees and Peace Committee representatives to finalise arrangements.

An online system was introduced for pandal permissions. Of the 15,426 applications received, 14,929 permissions were granted after physical verification. All approved pandals have been geotagged, while bilingual posters carrying fire and electrical safety instructions have been displayed at the sites.

So far, 32,878 idols have been immersed across various locations, including 6,108 within Hyderabad city limits. In the last 24 hours, 2,161 idols were immersed within the city.

Joint route inspections from Balapur to Hussain Sagar were also conducted with festival committees and officials. Necessary road repairs, electricity wire adjustments and tree pruning were taken up along the procession route.

For real-time monitoring, more than 10,000 CCTV cameras along major procession routes have been integrated with the Telangana State Police Integrated Command and Control Centre (TGICCC) at Banjara Hills. Twenty-four drones and nearly 100 high-rise cameras have also been deployed to monitor crowd movement and assist in idol counting.

Police personnel equipped with high-powered binoculars and wireless communication systems have been positioned at strategic rooftops. Dedicated control rooms have been established at NTR Marg, People's Plaza, Necklace Road and Moghalpura Sports Complex, besides the joint control room at TGICCC.

Expert divers and rescue boats have been deployed at major water bodies, while ambulances, fire tenders, generators and other emergency response equipment have been kept ready. Mechanics and backup drivers have also been positioned at key locations to address vehicle breakdowns during the procession.

Around 20,000 personnel from Law and Order, Traffic, Task Force, Special Branch, City Security Wing and CAR units are being deployed. In addition, 42 platoons comprising 8,142 personnel from other districts have been allocated across seven security zones.

Four companies of the Rapid Action Force have been deployed in Charminar, Golconda, Rajendranagar and Shamshabad, while two companies of the CRPF have been posted at Khairatabad and Secunderabad. Fifty-three Bomb Detection teams are conducting security checks across the city, including at entry points, railway stations, bus terminals and shopping malls.

The police have also reiterated restrictions on DJ systems, sound mixers, high-decibel audio equipment and firecrackers during the procession in accordance with applicable court and public safety guidelines.

Special attention has been given to the safety of women and girls, with 26 SHE Teams operating in three shifts. Since September 14, the teams have apprehended 1,172 persons, including 1,121 adults and 51 minors, for alleged indecent behaviour at crowded locations such as Khairatabad and Balapur.

On the final immersion day, 139 Crime Control Scheme personnel, five sector teams and 25 specialised plainclothes teams will monitor crowd movement and help prevent theft and harassment. Women requiring assistance can contact Dial 112 or the SHE Teams WhatsApp number 9490616555.

Commissioner of Police V.C. Sajjanar said the Hyderabad City Police had made all necessary arrangements for the peaceful, smooth and secure completion of the immersion procession.

He appealed to citizens to maintain restraint, celebrate the festival peacefully and cooperate with the police and other departments. He also warned against misconduct, hate speech, inflammatory content and rumours on social media, saying that appropriate action would be taken against violations.

The Commissioner urged citizens to follow traffic advisories issued by the City Traffic Police and plan their journeys accordingly. Organisers have also been advised to appoint experienced drivers, conduct route surveys in advance and maintain necessary hygiene and safety standards while distributing prasadam.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar