Gulte Movie News And Politics
Hyderabad’s Ganesh immersion is once again facing a dispute over Tank Bund. This year, the Telangana government and Hyderabad Police have said that idols cannot be immersed from the Tank Bund road side of Hussain Sagar. They have also said that Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols cannot be immersed directly into Hussain Sagar or other natural water bodies in Hyderabad. PoP idols have to be taken to artificial or ‘baby’ ponds. Police have put up warning boards at Hussain Sagar and a roughly 10-foot railing along Tank Bund to stop direct immersion from the road.
At the same time, authorities are preparing immersion facilities at NTR Gardens, People’s Plaza and Necklace Road, where cranes and platforms will handle permitted idols. The government has also created artificial ponds for PoP idols. So, this year’s plan is not to stop Hussain Sagar immersion completely, but to control which idols enter the lake and from which points.
The Background
The legal background goes back to 2021, when the Telangana High Court restricted the immersion of PoP idols in Hussain Sagar and also issued directions concerning immersion from the Tank Bund side. The Supreme Court subsequently allowed PoP immersion in Hussain Sagar as a one-time exception for 2021, after the state gave an undertaking that it would not continue from the following year. In 2023, the Telangana High Court again said PoP idols should not be immersed in Hussain Sagar or other natural water bodies and directed authorities to use artificial or baby ponds instead.
The important point is that the PoP rule and Tank Bund rule are separate. A clay or other permitted idol can be taken to a designated lake-side immersion point in the Hussain Sagar. It is just not allowed from the Tank Bund side. Similarly, a PoP idol cannot be put directly into Hussain Sagar even if it is taken to the designated site.
This Year’s Rules
There is another important restriction this year: Hyderabad Police have announced a maximum height of 16 feet for Ganesh idols. Police say the limit is meant to improve safety during transportation, installation and immersion. Large idols create problems with overhead electrical lines, bridges, road clearances and the movement of cranes and vehicles. Police have also asked organisers transporting large idols to coordinate with the traffic police and avoid peak traffic hours.
The Telangana Police’s online 2026 Ganesh registration system separately flags idols above 14 feet for additional safety compliance, although the portal does not itself establish 14 feet as the legal maximum.
Security Arrangements This Year
The security operation for September 25 is substantial. Around 20,000 police personnel are expected to be deployed across Hyderabad. The main procession route is around 19 km long, and police and civic agencies are checking roads, bridges and overhead clearances along it. CCTV cameras, barricades, cranes, boats, swimmers, ambulances and emergency teams are being deployed at key locations.
HYDRAA has also prepared Disaster Response Force teams and swimmers for immersion points. Authorities want the major immersion operation to finish on the same day, rather than allowing it to continue into the following day. More platforms and cranes are being added on the NTR Marg side so that more idols can be handled at the same time.
The Numbers
The scale explains why these arrangements matter. The Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi (BGUS) expects around 1.5 lakh Ganesh idols or pandals in Hyderabad this year, compared with about 1.4 lakh in 2025. It expects around 50 lakh devotees to participate. BGUS has spoken of around 110 immersion points across the city and estimates the festival generates around ₹6,000 crore in economic activity. It says more than 2 lakh people directly benefit and another 4 lakh benefit indirectly. These are BGUS estimates, not audited government figures.
In 2025, GHMC reported that more than 2.32 lakh idols had been immersed by 5:30 pm across its six zones, while All India Radio reported that around 1.8 lakh idols had already been immersed over the preceding three days, with another 50,000 larger idols expected on the final day.
Opposition To Restriction
BGUS, however, is opposing the Tank Bund restriction. The organisation says Tank Bund is a traditional immersion point and has objected to the decision to stop immersion from that side. Reports say BGUS has maintained that idols would be immersed at Tank Bund. The police position is different: authorities have installed barriers and are directing organisers towards designated locations on the NTR Marg and Necklace Road side.
Main Immersion On September 25
Immersion has already begun for smaller household idols. On September 16, people were taking idols to NTR Gardens, Necklace Road, People’s Plaza and the IMAX Theatre Lane. The main pandal immersion is scheduled for September 25. There were also viral videos of people climbing on top of the barricades on the tank bund road to immerse idols.
Necklace Road is an important part of the official plan, but it is not a blanket exception to the PoP rule. Permitted clay and eco-friendly idols can use designated crane points, while PoP idols must use artificial ponds. A 2026 government tender specifically provides for baby ponds at Sanjeevaiah Park and Necklace Road.
Across the wider Hyderabad region, more than 100 designated immersion locations have been identified, including lakes, ponds, artificial ponds and temporary facilities. The challenge on September 25 will therefore be to move roughly 1.5 lakh idols to the designated immersion points while simultaneously balancing environmental restrictions, idol sizes, traffic, and security.
