20,000 cops, 19 km route: Hyderabad Police prepares to immerse Ganesh idol

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar and senior officials inspect the procession route of Ganesha idols near Charminar in Hyderabad on Tuesday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Around 20,000 policemen will be deployed across Hyderabad for the upcoming Ganesha idol immersion procession, with authorities conducting a joint inspection of the 19-km route from Balapur to Tank Bund on Tuesday to ensure smooth and safe movement of the idols.

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar along with senior officials from Police, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), Roads and Buildings Department and other line departments inspected the procession route before the immersion.

The officials traveled by special bus from Balapur Ganesh pandal via Chandrayangutta, Falaknuma, Charminar and MJ Market before proceeding towards Telangana Thalli flyover. They stopped at key locations including Rajesh Medical Hall, Gulzar Houz, MJ Market Junction and Telugu Thalli Junction to assess the road condition, ground clearances and height restrictions on the route.

The entire route of the procession will be continuously monitored using CCTV cameras from the Telangana Integrated Command Control Centre. The police will also deploy rapid response teams, dog squads, anti-chain snatching teams and SHE teams at strategic locations to prevent untoward incidents and ensure the safety of devotees and the general public.

Addressing the media after the inspection, Mr. Sajjanar appreciated the cooperation extended by the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi and local organizers with the government and the police over the years.

The commissioner said coordination meetings were held with various departments over the past month to streamline arrangements for the procession. Senior officials from GHMC, HMDA, TRANSCO, R&B, HMWSSB, RTA and Health Department will be stationed 24 hours a day at the Telangana State Integrated Command and Control Center on the day of immersion to coordinate operations.

Mr. Sajjanar directed the zonal officers to keep a close eye on their respective areas and ensure that the Ganesha idols from various pandals leave on time for immersion. He also urged the pandal organizers to strictly follow safety guidelines and take measures to avoid electrocution as it continues to rain in the city.

Mr. Sajjanar appealed to the devotees, citizens and festival organizers to cooperate with the police and other agencies to ensure that the procession ends peacefully and without any untoward incident.

Published – 15 Sep 2026 22:59 IST