Tight security for immersion

- 25,000 police personnel deployed to keep a vigil on processions
- City police identify 310 hyper-sensitive and 605 sensitive areas
-12,000 volunteers, including NCC/NSS cadets, have offered services
- Cops to deploy 23 bomb disposal teams at important Ganesh pandals and temples
- Anti-Sabotage Teams to use services of 23 sniffer dogs

Hyderabad: Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the peaceful conduct of Ganesh immersion procession here on Thursday with over 25,000 police personnel being deployed for the purpose.

City police has identified 310 hyper-sensitive and 605 sensitive areas and is keeping tight vigil, with the help of 25,000 security personnel and 12,000 CCTV cameras.

“The Ganesh immersion procession will start on Thursday from various places of Hyderabad and Secunderabad to Hussainsagar lake and other water bodies in the city, wherein thousands of idols from the city as well as Medak, Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts are expected to be immersed,” Hyderabad Police Commissoner M Mahendar Reddy told reporters.

About 10 to 15 lakh people are expected to participate in the final procession, the Commissioner added. In order to ensure that the entire programme is conducted in a peaceful manner, necessary arrangements have been made. Over 25,000 police personnel drawn from Hyderabad Police and from nine districts of Telangana, besides neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and also from central para-military forces (8,722) have been deployed, the Hyderabad top cop said.

“Forces of all the Units of Hyderabad City Police have been pressed into service for the security and bandobust. Besides the 25,000 police personnel, 2,000 volunteers, including NCC/NSS cadets have offered services on the final immersion day,” Mahender Reddy said.

Emergency response teams are being stationed at key locations along the route, he said, adding 310 hyper-sensitive and 605 sensitive places have been identified for which pickets have been posted.

“A total of 410 Mobile Parties are moving in the area for smooth conduct of the Ganesh immersion,” he said. Last year, 10,980 Ganesh idols were permitted to be installed in various public places, while this year the figure was 11,094. The city security wing of Hyderabad City Police will deploy 23 bomb disposal teams, two access control teams at important Ganesh pandals and temples.

They are equipped with Door Frame Metal Dectectors (DFMDs), Hand Held Metal Detectors (HHMDs), deep search mine detectors, under carriage mirror, explosive detectors etc.

The Anti-Sabotage Teams will be using the services of 23 sniffer dogs. “No traffic other than the idols' procession will be allowed to move on the main procession route between 9 am on September 15 to 8 am on September 16.

“The traffic restrictions will be extended if the situation demands,” the Police Commissioner added. The event is being covered by more than 800 video cameras, some of which would be monitored on a real-time basis from the control room, the Commissioner said adding, “All steps are being taken to ensure that rumours of any kind are nipped in the bud."