Hyderabad: All obstacles cleared for Ganesh immersion

Hyderabad: The state government has at last decided to make preparations like the previous years for Ganesh immersion. The entire administration has been pressed into service so that it can ensure smooth immersion which would take place on Friday.

Contrary to the stand taken so far that only immersion of clay Ganeshas would be permitted in Hussain Sagar, the authorities have now decided to permit immersion of even the idols made of PoP. The use of baby ponds would be an optional facility, they said.

A jubilant BJP said that now all 'Vighnas' (obstacles) for the immersion were removed and claimed that it was the result of the pressure they had put on the administration. But the government countered this argument saying that it never said 'No' to immersion of PoP idols in Hussain Sagar nor did it say that it will not make arrangements in full scale. Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav said that it was the responsibility of the government to make arrangements and they were in the process.

The BJP should stop indulging in political drama, he said.

While the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav committee members are happy over the government's decision, they are worried over the heavy rain forecast by the IMD. They hope that Ganesha would see that this obstacle was also overcome.

According to the official figures, there are 38,000 bigger idols in the three Commissionerates - Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda. Over 10,000 people, including police personnel from other states have been drafted for immersion duty.