40 cameras, 3,183 police officers on duty: Mega plan mapped out for last day of Ganesh idol immersions in Hyderabad

The Hyderabad Traffic Police has rolled out an elaborate plan to manage traffic and ensure public safety during the Ganesh idol immersions on September 6 and 7, expected to draw over one million devotees from across the city.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) D. Joel Davis said the main immersion procession will start at Balapur and move towards Hussainsagar, covering an 18-km stretch through Falaknuma, Charminar, Afzalgunj, Abids, Liberty, Tank Bund and Necklace Road before reaching NTR Marg. A total of 24 tributary routes will feed into the main procession. The immersion is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. on Saturday and continue till the next morning.

Special focus will be on the Khairatabad Ganesh idol, a 69-foot structure installed on August 27, which will be taken to Hussainsagar via a 2.5-km route on Saturday. Eighty traffic personnel are being deployed in two shifts to manage the movement from Khairatabad to NTR Marg.

“In all, 3,183 personnel, including traffic police and outside forces, will monitor the processions in two shifts. Forty high-rise cameras are set up at major junctions including Tank Bund, Narayanguda, Liberty, Paradise and Karbala Maidan, with a 24×7 control team tracking movements in real time,” said the officer, adding that watchtowers, barricades, public address systems and additional lighting have also been arranged.

Traffic restrictions will be in place from 6 a.m. on Saturday till 10 a.m. on Sunday along the procession routes, with diversions at Keshavagiri, Chandrayangutta, Moosarambagh, Chaderghat, Charminar, Afzalgunj, Koti, MJ Bridge, Liberty, Khairatabad, Telugu Talli and several other points. RTC city buses will be curtailed beyond Masab Tank, VV Statue, CTO, Ramanthapur, Gaddi Annaram and Tarnaka, while inter-district and inter-State buses will be rerouted. Heavy commercial vehicles will not be allowed inside the city and must use the Outer Ring Road.

Parking zones have been designated at NTR Stadium, Public Gardens, Buddha Bhavan, Adarsh Nagar, BRK Bhavan, GHMC HQ, Institute of Engineers and Khairatabad MMTS. Empty lorries after immersions will be diverted via Necklace Road Rotary, Khairatabad Flyover, VV Statue and KCP Junction.

To encourage eco-friendly immersions, GHMC has prepared baby ponds, rubber tanks and excavation tanks at Sanjeevaiah Park, Jalavihar, NTR Stadium, Imax Theatre, Exhibition Grounds, Chilkalguda, Ameerpet, Saidabad, Chintalbasthi, Gudimalkapur and Amberpet.

The police have warned against drunk driving among procession drivers and requested devotees not to perform poojas at crane sites to avoid delays. Riot control teams are also being positioned at Tank Bund, Secretariat and Rotary.

Citizens are advised to avoid major junctions like MJ Market, Liberty, Ranigunj, Tank Bund, NTR Marg, Necklace Road and Khairatabad, and use the PVNR Expressway or Outer Ring Road for airport-bound travel. Real-time diversions and alternative routes will be available through Google Maps.