HYDERABAD: The recurring menace of dangling fibre optic and coaxial cables once again turned into a major hurdle during Ganesh idol immersion processions in the city on Saturday. Several mandap organisers heading towards Hussainsagar were forced to halt midway, lifting cables with bamboo sticks or even cutting them to clear the route for their idols.
Civic authorities only added to the chaos. In Balapur, GHMC staff removed staircases and ramps that had encroached on the road to make way for a massive Ganesh idol. While the move temporarily widened the route, angry locals said such ad hoc measures exposed the administration’s failure to devise a permanent plan. “Instead of a short-sighted approach, why are authorities not finding a permanent solution to the cable menace in the city?” asked Vishweshwar, a Ganesh Committee member.
“This happens every Ganesh festival, and officials wake up only after tragedies,” fumed one organiser, struggling to move his idol past a web of wires. Another activist added, “Lives are being lost, processions are being stalled, but officials blame each other instead of burying these hanging cables once and for all.”
In an attempt to ensure smoother passage for tall idols, GHMC staff took up pruning of tree branches at Police Lines in Amberpet and other locations. But the work triggered questions about why such preventive measures were not carried out earlier, avoiding the last-minute rush.
The Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL), already under criticism after the recent electrocution deaths of devotees during idol-setting processions in Ramanthapur and other areas, responded with a knee-jerk drive to cut live and dead cables at several points. The exercise, however, was abruptly halted after protests from sections claiming internet services were disrupted. The lack of coordination between the civic body, power utility, and internet operators left organisers frustrated and confused.
