Khairatabad Bada Ganesh: Traffic police issue route plan, urge devotees to use public transport
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Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) D. Joel Davis and other officers addressing the media about the diversions and routes. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement
The Hyderabad Traffic Police announced a detailed traffic management plan for the upcoming Khairatabad Bada Ganesh festival, with more than 30 lakh devotees expected to visit the idol during the 10-day festival.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) D. Joel Davis, along with senior traffic police officials, inspected the primary routes and access roads around Khairatabad on Saturday to assess arrangements ahead of the festival.
The traffic police has identified four primary routes for devotees seeking darshan. They can approach the venue via Khairatabad Metro station, the Dwarka Hotel and Telephone Bhavan side, Mint Compound and IMAX Prasadβs side, or the colony and basti route behind the idol.
With large crowds expected, officials have urged devotees to use public transport, including Metro, MMTS and RTC buses. Metro services will operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., while special RTC buses will be operated in addition to the 2,200 regular buses that touch the Khairatabad route every day.
Those arriving in private vehicles have been asked to carpool. Parking will be available at the IMAX Ground, HMDA Lake View Parking and E-Racing Ground behind NTR Park on the NTR Marg side. Maktha Parking on Necklace Road will be used if the primary parking areas are full, while Visweswarayya Bhavan will be available for visitors approaching from the Metro and VV Statue side. Parking on the Telephone Bhavan side will be limited.
The traffic police have also designated the open ground adjacent to the MMTS station for pick-up and drop-off by auto-rickshaws and Ola and Uber vehicles. Stopping on the main carriageway between VV Statue, Khairatabad and Nirankari for passenger pick-up or drop-off will not be permitted.
Metro passengers have been advised to exit towards the Khairatabad Bada Ganesh, or pandal side. Those exiting towards the Seven Temples side would have to cross the main road, which officials said could disrupt traffic.
Several diversions will be enforced during the festival. Vehicles will not be allowed towards Rajdoot Lane and Dwarka Hotel and will be diverted towards Telephone Bhavan. Traffic entering Mint Lane will be diverted towards the Secretariat, while vehicles passing IMAX will not be allowed towards Bada Ganesh and will instead be diverted towards Necklace Road or the Khairatabad flyover. Traffic from Rajiv Gandhi Statue towards the railway crossing will be diverted towards Nirankari.
Separate entry and exit queues have been arranged for pedestrians, who will not be permitted to walk on the main carriageway. Pedestrian crossings will be allowed only at Khairatabad Junction, Shadan U-turn and Nirankari.
The traffic police has also clarified that darshan of the Khairatabad Bada Ganesh will conclude on September 23. No darshan will be permitted on September 24.
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