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However, Rao said a decision would be taken on Ganesh immersion procession only after ascertaining the number of Ganesh idols installed in the city. The government had been making massive arrangements for the centralised Ganesh Nimajjan procession up to Hussain Sagar lake every year, but due to Covid-19 pandemic, it has advised the organisers to restrict the programme to local areas. The centralised immersion procession of Lord Ganesha at the end of 11-day festivities is one of the biggest annual events of the city and draws thousands of visitors. The Samithi also resisted the state government’s proposal to ban the Ganesh Nimajjan (immersion of Lord Ganesha idols) processions this year. Use of masks and sanitisers is a must,” he said. “At any point of time, not more than five persons would be present at the mandap maintaining social distance. Rao, however, appealed to devotees to strictly follow the Covid-19 guidelines at the pandals. “There is no need to take any permission from the police for installation of the idols, but mere intimation to the local police station is enough,“ he said and asked home minister Mohd Mahmud Ali to communicate the message to all the police stations. However, Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi general secretary Dr Bhagwanth Rao insisted that Ganesh mandaps could be erected in apartments, gated communities, function halls and bastis (colonies). Hyderabad commissioner of police Anjani Kumar also announced that no idol installation or any event would be held at public places and asked the people to perform Ganesh puja at home. State minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav appealed to the people in general and youth associations in particular not to erect Ganesh mandaps but confine the celebrations to their respective homes in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Telangana government’s decision to ban Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations commencing August 22 in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic has run into stiff opposition from the festival committees and Bharatiya Janata Party.Ī day after the state government announced that no permission would be given for public celebration of the festival by erecting Lord Ganesha mandaps (pandals) in every street of the city as was the practice in the past, the Bhagya Nagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi on Tuesday opposed the decision.