Hyderabad: The delay in immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussainsagar Lake in Hyderabad Monday caused huge traffic jams in the city, causing inconvenience to commuters.
Hundreds of idols were still being brought to the lake in the heart of the city, a day after the immersion procession began.
Police were continuing the traffic restrictions around the lake, which connects twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
Students and office-goers were caught in long traffic snarls in the areas surrounding the lake, including Liberty, Basheerbagh, Narayanguda, Abids, Lakdi Ka Pul and Khairatabad.
Police were hoping the immersion would be completed by 7 a.m. Monday but with idols still on their way to the lake, it is likely to continue till afternoon.
Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic) C.V. Anand said traffic restrictions would continue till further orders.
Heaps of garbage on the roads surrounding the lake were also proving to be a hurdle in smooth flow of vehicular traffic.
An estimated 40,000 idols were immersed, majority of them in Hussainsagar, since Sunday morning, police said.
Barring minor incidents, the procession remained peaceful. Tragedy struck the procession in Qutbullahpur on the outskirts of the city late Sunday when three devotees died of electric shock.
Earlier, one man died after he fell down from a truck carrying the idol at Lal Darwaza area in the Old City of Hyderabad. Mild tension prevailed as devotees pelted stones on police, blaming them for the incident. Police used mild force to disperse the mob.
Police said elaborate security arrangements would continue till the completion of the immersion. About 30,000 policemen, including paramilitary forces, were deployed to maintain peace.
IANS
