Ganesh festival: CP Anand asks cops to be ready for toughest of bandobasts

Hyderabad: With the Ganesh festival, which culminates in one of the country’s largest immersion processions, barely weeks away, the Hyderabad City Police is gearing up for the toughest task it has on its hands when it is about maintaining law and order. City Police Commissioner CV Anand, in fact, pointed out at a coordination meeting […]

Hyderabad: With the Ganesh festival, which culminates in one of the country’s largest immersion processions, barely weeks away, the Hyderabad City Police is gearing up for the toughest task it has on its hands when it is about maintaining law and order.

City Police Commissioner CV Anand, in fact, pointed out at a coordination meeting of police officials at the Integrated Command and Control Centre here on Wednesday that the Ganesh festival bandobast would be the finals, after all the quarter finals and semifinals that came in the form of the different festivals of various communities since January.

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The Commissioner, who issued directions on the installation of idols, issuing and collection of intimation forms and immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols and clay idols and about procession routes and precautions, said all the festivals since January, of different communities, were conducted peacefully despite the huge turnout of crowds.

“Those were all quarter finals and semifinals. Ganesh bandobast is the finals and I am sure you will all rise to the occasion and do equally well,” he said.

Stating that all organizers must intimate the Station House Officers concerned about installing idols and obtain permission, Anand also issued instructions with regard to the immersion of PoP idols at baby or artificial ponds. Officials were also told about the High Court orders and how to go about implementing those along with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and other departments.

The Commissioner, who discussed about the Khairatabad Ganesh committee agreeing to use clay for its idol and the arrangements to be made for its immersion, also deliberated on the coordination meetings to be held with organizers of pandals and issues pertaining to power, water and barricading among other aspects.

Asking for actively involving peace committee members, Anand also directed officials to take enough precautions and to keep an eye on mischievous social media posts.

Additional CP (Law & Order) DS Chauhan, Additional CP (Crimes) AR Srinivas, Joint CP (Traffic) AV Ranganath and other officials were present.