Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 26 : The 48-hour-long Ganesh idol immersion procession across Hyderabad concluded peacefully without any untoward incident, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said on Saturday, adding that elaborate arrangements were made for the smooth conduct of the mega festival.
Addressing a press conference near the Telangana Secretariat along with senior officials, Sajjanar said preparations for the event were started three months in advance under the guidance of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, with the objective of ensuring peaceful celebrations.
According to Hyderabad City Police, nearly 30 lakh devotees visited the famous Khairatabad Bada Ganesh this year, while around 15 lakh devotees offered prayers at the Balapur Ganesh.
The Commissioner thanked devotees from Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Malkajgiri, Future City, various districts of Telangana, other states and abroad for their cooperation in making the event successful.
Sajjanar said the unified command system under a single commissionerate jurisdiction from Balapur to Hussain Sagar, along with interconnected zones, helped improve coordination and monitoring during the procession.
A large security arrangement was put in place with around 20,000 Hyderabad City Police personnel, over 8,000 additional personnel from various districts, and specialised units including Greyhounds, Octopus and Telangana State Police forces.
The Commissioner also thanked media personnel for providing timely information and sharing police advisories with the public. He appreciated the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi, along with Khairatabad and Balapur Utsav Samithis, for following guidelines and ensuring timely immersion of idols.
Highlighting issues noticed during the procession, Sajjanar said excessive use of paper shooters led to the accumulation of waste on roads, which became hazardous after rain due to slippery conditions for two-wheeler riders. He said the police department would bring the matter before the government and recommend a complete ban on paper shooters.
He also stressed the need for self-discipline among organisers and the public regarding waste disposal during annadanam and drunk driving. A debriefing session will be conducted to review the arrangements and improve planning for the 2027 Ganesh festival, he said.
Earlier, Sajjanar personally inspected major procession routes, including M.J. Market, Basheerbagh, Liberty and Tank Bund, by riding a two-wheeler during the late hours of Friday and early Saturday to review traffic management and ground arrangements. He also interacted with on-duty police personnel and joined them in celebrations after the successful completion of the procession.