The final Ganesh Chaturthi immersion procession is underway in Hyderabad on 25 September, with approximately 30,000 police personnel deployed across Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri commissionerates to ensure a peaceful conclusion to the 12-day festival. The centrepiece of the celebrations is the 69-foot Khairatabad 'Bada Ganesh' — the tallest idol in the city — whose immersion in Hussain Sagar lake is expected to be completed by the afternoon.

Procession Route and Scale

The main procession began at Balapur on the city's outskirts and will traverse 19 kilometres before reaching Hussain Sagar Lake in the heart of the city. Hundreds of idols from across Hyderabad and its outskirts join the centralised march, known as the Shoba Yatra, which effectively brings the entire city to a standstill. Roughly 1 lakh idols were installed for worship this year, with the majority being immersed in water bodies on Friday.

Security Arrangements and Technology Deployment

Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar confirmed that approximately 20,000 personnel from the Law and Order, Traffic, Task Force, Special Branch, City Security Wing, and CAR units of the Hyderabad Commissionerate have been deployed. An additional 42 platoons comprising 8,142 personnel drawn from other districts are allocated across seven security zones.

More than 10,000 CCTV cameras have been integrated with the Telangana State Police Integrated Command and Control Centre (TGICCC), from which top officials will monitor the procession in real time. 24 advanced drones and nearly 100 high-resolution cameras are being used to monitor crowd density and facilitate automated idol counting. Officers with high-powered binoculars and wireless communication sets have been positioned on rooftops along the route.

Four companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) are deployed at Charminar, Golconda, Rajendranagar, and Shamshabad, while two companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are stationed at Khairatabad and Secunderabad. A total of 53 Bomb Detection (BD) teams have also been deployed, with officers of IG/DIG rank overseeing critical junctions including Mozamjahi Market and Basheerbagh.

Sensitive Zones and Women's Safety

The procession passes through the communally sensitive old city and its main thoroughfares. As the immersion coincides with Friday prayers, the police have made especially tight security arrangements near the historic Mecca Masjid, close to the iconic Charminar. Commissioner Sajjanar stated that 26 'SHE Teams' will remain on continuous duty across three shifts in crowded areas, prioritising the safety of women.

Expert divers and rescue boats from the Indian Army and the Tourism Department have been deployed to prevent mishaps at Hussain Sagar and other water bodies in and around the city.

Civic Coordination and Traffic Curbs

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), and multiple other departments have made elaborate arrangements along the procession route. Traffic curbs have been imposed within the limits of all three police commissionerates. Commissioner Sajjanar inspected ground-level preparations at the Khairatabad Ganesh mandap on Friday morning and appealed to citizens to 'celebrate the festival in a peaceful and joyous atmosphere.'

With lakhs of devotees expected to line the 19-kilometre route, authorities say the immersion event will be closely watched as a test of Hyderabad's capacity to manage one of its largest annual gatherings safely.