Security beefed up for peaceful Ganesh immersion

Hyderabad, Sep 5 (UNI) The city police, which breathed a sigh of relief with the unearthing of the conspiracy to create communal tension by a terror group and the arrest of their leader Shakeel, is not taking any chance and making all efforts to conduct Ganesh immersion peaceful tomorrow.

Based on information from the intelligence agencies about possible attacks by groups associated with ISI, the counter intelligence teams in the city once again lived up to their reputation of exposing the conspiracy of a terror group to create communal tension by killing top BJP leaders. The police could arrest Shakeel and picked up four others linked to the conspiracy.

Riding high on the success of busting terror conspiracy, the city police made foolproof security arrangements in city. Already the police beefed up the security by implementing 15 companies of para-military forces apart from the 22,000 odd policemen on guard.

The main procession would start on September 6, at 0700 hrs at Balapur near Chandrayangutta. About 50 volunteers of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi would assist the official machinery to ensure the smooth conduct of the idol immersion procession.

For the first time, about 20 watch towers with armed police personnel atop had been set at strategic points all along the procession. Three policemen would be positioned atop with binoculars and wireless sets.

Closed circuit and Internet Protocol (IP) televisions were being used to conduct the Ganesh festivities smoothly. Striking forces would be deployed at strategic positions. Special counter action teams would also be placed in strategic positions.

For the immersion procession, apart from the 8,000-strong police from city, another 7,500 will be drawn from districts. Nearly 170 platoons of armed police and 15 companies of para-military forces, CRPF and RPF, were deployed.

Likewise, the civil authorities and the police had been working round the clock for the past one week to make arrangements for the idol immersion. Footpaths on Tank Bund and Necklace Road had been removed at some places to make space for giant cranes used for immersing huge Ganesh idols. About 75 cranes had been deployed at the lake for idol immersion this year.

Huge Ganesh idols would be immersed at NTR marg where heavy duty cranes were deployed. The Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad, sanitation wing had issued guidelines for preparation of Prasadam which would be distributed among devotees.

UNI ASJ GKT SHB KP2018