Hyderabad: GHMC has a plan B up its sleeve for idol immersion

Hyderabad: Even as the Supreme Court is set to a deliver a judgement on the immersion of Ganesh idols made with Plaster of Paris (POP) in Hussain Sagar on Thursday, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has prepared a plan B to immerse the idols in artificial ponds in the city limits.

As an alternative plan, the civic body is planning to send the Ganesh idols made of POP to immerse them in the 28 artificial ponds set up by the GHMC.

According to the sources, the GHMC Commissioner, DS Lokesh Kumar held a meeting with all the Zonal Commissioners and asked them to identify the Ganesh pandals at their zone and circle level and put a data on it, so that it will be easy to identify the nearest artificial pond in their area to facilitate smooth immersion of Ganesh idols. If every single Ganesh idol made of POP has to be immersed in the artificial ponds it will take about two days to complete the immersion process, said sources.

In case the Supreme Court rejects the State government's request, the artificial ponds are the only option for the immersion of idols made of POP

In case, Ganesh idols made of POP come to the Hussainsagar, they will be diverted to the nearest artificial ponds set up at Sanjeevaiah Park, Jala Vihar etc for immersion, the officials added.

Even the civic body is considering the option to immerse the Khairatabad Ganesh idol at baby pond near Sanjeevaiah Park this year.

However, all the arrangements were already made at the 28 artificial ponds across the city and also the civic body personnel were deployed at the ponds to help the devotees.

According to the officials even the cranes were set up at the artificial ponds and in few parts of the city, immersion process at the ponds already started.

The artificial ponds were set up in the places like Kapra Cheruvu, Nagole lake baby pond, Malkam Cheruvu, Safilguda Cheruvu, Banda Cheruvu, Necklace road baby pond, Kaidamma lake, Hasmathpet lake baby pond, Pragathi Nagar lake etc.

The Entomology wing of GHMC is conducting fogging and spraying activities at the artificial ponds and even helping the devotees in the immersion process.