Hyderabad: Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti (BGUS) continued its protest in Hyderabad demanding the Telangana government to allow immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussain Sagar like in the past.
BGUS leaders sat on hunger strike at Baheti Bhavan in Siddiamber Bazar on Wednesday. The samiti’s general secretary Bhagwanth Rao, vice-president Rama Raju and other leaders were participating in the hunger strike.
The leaders of BGUS had tried to take out a bike rally at Tank Bund on Tuesday to oppose what it calls the restrictions being imposed on immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussain Sagar lake.
Since there was no permission for the bike rally, police stopped the participants and took them into custody.
The BGUS continued its protest despite clarification by the government that immersion of only Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) is prohibited in Hussain Sagar as per the orders of Telangana High Court.
However, authorities will allow immersion of clay idols in Hussain Sagar. The government said POP idols can be immersed in 31 lakes and 74 baby ponds across the city, it said.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has made arrangements in this regard. It has deployed 280 cranes and 130 mobile cranes.
More than 10,000 sanitation workers have been engaged to help with the immersion process.
The High Court, in its order dated July 21, 2022, had maintained that immersion of PoP idols in Hussain Sagar is prohibited, starting this year.
The nine-day festivities, which began on August 31 with the installation of thousands of idols, will culminate on September 9 with a massive immersion procession. Idols from various parts of twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and outskirts are brought to Hussain Sagar for immersion.
Meanwhile, GHMC on Wednesday started making preparations for immersion of idols into Hussain Sagar from Tank Bund. Ten cranes were deployed on the Tank Bund but the municipal authorities were waiting for final nod from the state government.
The GHMC has already deployed eight tanks at NTR Marg and four on Necklace Road for the immersion.
–IANS