Hyderabad, Sep 17 (Reporter) The immersion of Ganesh idols, marking the conclusion of the ten-day Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations, began in Hyderabad on Tuesday morning amid much fanfare. The event will continue until early Wednesday. Chants of "Ganapati Bappa Morya" filled the air as lakhs of devotees, showering "gulal" (colored powder), participated in the immersion processions across the city. Thousands of people joined the procession carrying the 70-foot-tall Ganesh idol from the Khairatabad area. The procession started at 0630 hours and is expected to conclude with the idol's immersion at around 1330 hours, Khairatabad Ganesh Utav Samithi said. The main procession commenced from Balapur, located near the outskirts of the old city, following the traditional auction of the 'laddu'. Covering a distance of approximately 18 km, the procession will pass through the old city before reaching its final destination at Hussain Sagar around 1600 hours. Across Hyderabad, there are over 300 km of procession routes from various locations. Around one lakh Ganesh idols of various sizes and designs are expected to be immersed in Hussain Sagar, as well as in other lakes and ponds around the city. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has mobilised nearly 360 cranes for the immersion process. Over 25,000 security personnel have been stationed at the immersion venues to ensure a smooth and incident-free event. Ten control rooms have been set up to manage traffic, and 733 surveillance cameras have been deployed to monitor the processions, police sources said. For the safety of women, twelve SHE teams have been deployed around Hussain Sagar, the sources added. The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) is operating special buses for those attending the immersion ceremonies. Hyderabad Metro and MMTS also operate more trips for those attending the immersion ceremonies. The state government has declared a public holiday in Hyderabad and the adjoining Ranga Reddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts. To maintain peace and security during the immersion processions, all liquor shops, including bars and restaurants, in Hyderabad and Secunderabad will remain closed from 0600 hours on Tuesday until 1800 hours on Wednesday. The city's traffic police have implemented restrictions on several major routes to ensure the smooth progress of the immersion processions. Additionally, the police have restricted the entry of heavy vehicles and private buses into the city from 0600 hours on Tuesday until 2300 hours on Wednesday. In case of any traffic-related emergencies, people can reach out to helpline numbers: 9010203626, 8712660600, or 040-27852482. The immersion process has been incident-free so far, according to the police. Similar peaceful immersions are taking place in other parts of Telangana as well...////...