Tight security for Ganesh procession in Hyderabad

Hyderabad : Over 15,000 policemen and personnel from paramilitary forces have been deployed as part of the massive security arrangements for the Ganesh immersion here Wednesday.

Police have made additional security arrangements in view of Feb 21 twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar here and the alert sounded by the central government in the wake of communal riots in Uttar Pradesh.

As many as 60,000 idols will be immersed in Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city and other water bodies, for which police, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and other departments have made elaborate arrangements.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma told reporters Tuesday that more than 8,000 policemen from different parts of the state were mobilized in addition to the city police force.

Police have installed 800 closed circuit television cameras and video cameras to keep a tight vigil on the mammoth annual procession, which brings the city to a halt. The police chief said 32 bomb disposal squads would also be pressed into service along the procession route.

The GHMC has arranged 40 static and 71 mobile cranes at Hussain Sagar lake for immersion of the idols brought from various parts of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and even the outskirts.

The police commissioner appealed to people to cooperate with the police in maintaining peace. He advised Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi to start the process in time.

Over one million people are expected to participate in the procession, the second biggest after Mumbai.

Police have imposed traffic restrictions in most parts of the city for the procession. Over 2,000 policemen will be deployed to regulate the traffic.

The procession, which starts from Balapur on the outskirts of the city passes through communally sensitive old city and after covering a distance of about 20 km reached Hussain Sagar.