Immersion of as many as 790 Ganesh idols established across various towns and cities in Raichur districts went off peacefully on Friday night. A couple of idol processions and immersions were reported even on Saturday till 10 a.m. In Raichur city alone, over 150 idols were immersed at Khasbhavi. Heavy police force were deployed for ensuring law and order. Local civic bodies made all arrangements for facilitating smooth immersions at various pre-determined water bodies.
Despite imposition of ban on Disc Jockey (popularly known as DJ) sound systems in view of Supreme Court directions and pressure from civil society, some Ganesh Mandalis used the sound systems that produced high level of sounds (over 120 decibels), beyond the permissible limits (85 decibels). However, the police personnel on duty, in their efforts to minimise sound pollution and disturbance to people, were found constantly persuading organisers to reduce the volume.
Superintendent of Police Chetan Singh Rathor, Additional Superintendent of Police S.B. Patil and other senior officers were found supervising the immersion processions to ensure law and order in view of ban on DJ sound systems.
In Deodurg town, activists associated with GajananaYuvak Sangha staged a demonstration on Friday night when police did not allow them to use DJ sound systems. Mr. Rathor went to the spot and persuaded the organisers to take the idol-procession forward without using DJ system.
Two cases have been booked in Raichur city for violating the orders of the executive magistrate. Two DJ sound systems that were arriving to the city were stopped at the district border and sent back.
"No DJ system producing high volume of sound beyond permissible limit was used this year as compared to 40 systems last year. Yet, two cases were booked for using more than six sound boxes in violation of the magistrate's order. One DJ system arriving from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh was seized at Yeragera and other arriving from Yadgir was stopped and sent back from Shaktinagar," Mr. Rathor told
