Ganesh immersion from all sides of Hussainsagar this year

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to use 330 mobile and static cranes for immersion of idols at a cost of Rs.10 crore for this year's Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations.

Until last year, the nodal agencies used 38 cranes on the Tank Bund Road and 15 on the NTR Marg road. However, the authorities, in order to protect the vintage look and granite stone laid on the Tank Bund, decided to relocate some of them and install them at the People's Plaza. The HMDA has already earmarked 14 immersion points on the Tank Bund, where they have already laid cobble stones as they could be restored easily.

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) spent Rs. 38 crore to install designer lamp posts, cast iron railings, grills, flamed granite flooring and beautifully designed gazebos on the Tank Bund recently for giving it a vintage look.

The municipal authority has decided to use People's Plaza and install about seven cranes apart from installing about 15 cranes on the NTR Marg. Officials also said if required, they would install cranes at Sanjeevaiah Park side for a hassle-free immersion programme.

A senior official requesting anonymity said the HMDA had already spent Rs. 38 crore on the Tank Bund and installed designer lamp posts, cast iron railings, grills, flamed granite flooring and beautifully designed gazebos. He said to protect the beautification works, the HMDA had identified 14 locations as immersion spots where cobble stones were laid as they could be restored easily later.

The official said unlike previous years, the municipal authority had



decided to take up the immersion programme on four sides of Hussainsagar lake. He said as the first move, the municipal authority had decided to use People's Plaza as an immersion spot and relocated about seven to eight cranes from the Tank Bund. He said based on the requirement of cranes, the HMDA would also use Sanjeevaiah Park Road for idol immersion.

However, for facilitating smooth immersion of idols this Ganesh Chavithi, the HMDA has chopped branches of at least 10 trees at People's Plaza on PV Marg, much to the chagrin of nature lovers, environmentalists and innumerable visitors who laze away the evening on the banks of the serene lake.

The civic officials have been chopping trees along PV Marg claiming that it would hinder the immersion programme. On Sunday, the authorities chopped about six trees and said they would chop more trees if required.

When asked about chopping trees on People's Plaza side, the official said the HMDA had not been axing any trees but removing branches which would hinder the cranes and immersion programme. He also said the municipal authority would also chop trees on Sanjeevaiah Park Road based on the requirement for smooth conduct of the immersion programme.

Cranes will be deployed through agencies, who would be asked to provide adequate number of sandbags and other materials to prevent any kind of damage to the newly erected ornamental lamps, pavements and railings. The GHMC officials informed that cranes of three various types - 15 tonne capacity with 40-inch boom length, 30-70 tonne capacity with 80-150-inch boom and mobile cranes with 15-tonne capacity - would be used.