The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has set up artificial baby ponds for the immersion of Ganesha idols, made of plaster of Paris, to make the whole event simple and feasible.
GHMC’s Abdul Khayum, the Nodal officer of the baby ponds, told the press that two ponds have been installed in the Jubilee Hills circle, one in NBT Nagar and two in Sheikpet Maruti Nagar. Pooja Samagri will be removed separately after immersion and dumped in a van. For now, nearly 65 to 75 idols are being immersed in a shift. We have deputed the sanitation staff to clean the pond. The idols will be shifted to different places after immersion. The devotees are very happy and are thankful for having baby ponds in nearby areas,” the nodal officer added. Chandrashekhar Reddy, the inspector of Golconda Police Station, said that there are around 115 Ganesh idols in the area and they are divided into six sectors.
The whole area has been divided into six sectors, consisting of a sub-inspector and a subordinate team. An excavation pond has been set up for the purpose. There will be a police team with the devotees near the pandal to escort them to the ponds. “Devotees are asked not to bring children in the procession because they may be misplaced,” Reddy said.
Idols between 5 and 10 feet tall are to be immersed in the Neknampur and Malkam Cheruvu baby ponds, both of which are administered by the Cyderabad Commissionerate. Also, the idols above 10 feet are to be immersed in the Jiaguda immersion point. The public is advised to go there,” the inspector added.”
The devotees participating in the event seemed very satisfied with the idea and said that this idea should have been brought up a long time back.”The baby ponds should have been made a long time back itself. This year they have made them and it is very feasible for us. Earlier, it was very difficult to go long distances with kids, but now the small idols can be placed easily,” a devotee named Sravanthi said.
