PHOTOS: The Ganpati immersion party in Hyderabad

A massive immersion procession in Hyderabad was badly disrupted with very heavy rains lashing the city on Wednesday evening.

Lakhs of devotees poured onto the streets as huge Ganesha idols started their final journey on the last day of the festival from Balapur in old city on a smooth note on Wednesday morning. But by late evening, as the skies opened, the progress of the procession towards the historic Hussain Sagar lake slowed down.

The incessant rains turned all the roads and area surrounding the lake in to a cesspool forcing the thousands of onlookers to start return journey. The gathering was so huge that nothing could provide them shelter from the rains.

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All the arrangements made for a smooth and regulated immersion at the lake went haywire. Immersion with mechanised cranes had to be stopped. Even the officials of police, electricity and other departments who were camping in makeshift camps at the Tank Bund had to leave.

The journey of the 60-feet tall idol of Khairatabad, biggest of the lot, had also slowed down.

With the deployment of more than 20,000 policemen and para-military personnel, foolproof security arrangements were made. Entire route from Balapur to Hussain Sagar lake was barricaded and barred for traffic.

The Hyderabad city police commissioner Anurag Sharma said that 800 CCTV cameras were installed on the route and movement of the procession was monitored from the special control room at the police commissioner’s office.

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Massive annual Ganesha processions in Hyderabad have so far passed off peacefully and without much dislocation despite intermittent heavy rains.

With more than 20,000 policemen deployed all along the route from Balapur in old city to Hussain Sagar lake in the middle of the city, as well as all other sensitive areas, the situation was firmly under control.

According to officials, more than 6,00,00 idols were installed in Hyderabad and surrounding areas and arrangements were made at 21 water bodies, lakes and tanks for immersion. However the main focus was the historic Hussain Sagar lake.

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