Kurnool Ganesh idol immersion to be held in K-C Canal, says Minister Bharath

Ganesh idol immersion in Kurnool city will take place in the Kurnool-Cuddapah (K-C) Canal as in previous years, Industries and Commerce Minister T.G. Bharath Gupta has said, citing the sentiments of devotees and a request from the Ganesh Utsav Committee.

The decision follows a meeting the Minister held with committee members and officials to work out arrangements for the event. Vinayaka Ghat, on the canal, has hosted the immersion for decades, and the Minister said Kurnool ranks behind only Hyderabad among cities of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh in the scale and devotion of its Ganesh celebrations.

"To uphold the tradition spanning over 40 years and conceding to the requests of committee members, it has been decided that the Ganesh immersion will take place in the K-C Canal this year also," he said.

Water availability had cast doubt on the plan. Low rainfall in upstream areas left the canal short of water, and the district administration initially asked pandal organisers to use small clay idols and immerse them in vessels at home. It was later decided that idols could be immersed in the Handri-Neeva Canal passing through the city. Locations near the Nannuru toll gate, Tadakanapalli and Ulindakonda along the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi canal were also considered.

With water levels at the Sunkesula Barrage at their lowest in two decades, the Minister ruled out drawing water from there into the K-C Canal. "The limited water available in Sunkesula is being conserved to meet drinking water needs," he said.

Instead, retaining walls are being built in the upstream and downstream sections of the canal to form a tank-like structure that can hold water over a stretch of about 600 metres. Around two million litres of treated water from the Kurnool water supply centre and other sources will be released, and the Minister said the level is expected to reach between six and nine feet by the time of the immersion.

Cranes, safety measures and other infrastructure are being readied within a 600-metre radius, he added.

Panyam MLA Gouru Charitha Reddy said that given the grandeur of Vinayaka Chavithi celebrations in Kurnool for four decades, the ceremony should be conducted in a manner that respects devotees' sentiments and prevents untoward incidents. District Superintendent of Police Vikranth Patil said all necessary security precautions would be taken for the event.