HYDERABAD: Failure of the city authorities to effectively communicate the location of artificial immersion tanks and ponds resulted in thousands of people thronging the Hussainsagar for the immersion ritual on Sunday. The situation could worsen as immersion day approaches on September 9, amid questions over how effectively the Supreme Court ban is implemented.
A portable immersion tank set up next to Prasad’s Imax by the GHMC attracted only a handful of people. The GHMC sanitary incharge at the point, Vijay Kumar, said, “We set up the portable pond three days ago and idols below 5 feet can be immersed here. Most of the people do not know about this. Traffic police have started diverting idols here.”
Police officials from Saifabad said that since it was the first time that such a pond was set up, people were less aware of it. As per data, 28 people had visited the tank on Friday and 41 on Saturday.
However, idol immersion arrangements with cranes were made at People’s Plaza and NTR Marg with pandals, cranes and barricades, and police personnel were supervising the operations. The cranes stationed at NTR Marg and People’s Plaza were not yet functional as the police awaited orders with regard to immersion.
G. Vishal Rao from Himayatnagar who had come for the immersion of his PoP idol at People’s Plaza said, “We got to know about the pond just now. We don’t know about an artificial pond nor did we see any boards directing the people there.”
There were others who went to the lake as per tradition. R. Raj, a resident of Malapally, who was at Hussainsagar to immerse his idol, said, “I know about the portable tank set up near our area but we preferred to come here just like every year.”
The artificial ponds of Jalavihar and Sanjeevaiah Park saw immersions of idols above 10 feet along.
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