Hyderabad: Debris left behind the recent demolition of encroachments by HYDRAA made it difficult for devotees heading to the Ardha Nareeshwara Temple at Kothaguda on Sunday for Maha Shivaratri.
With devotees walking barefoot as per custom, the rubble caused inconvenience and posed safety concerns. Lighting diyas became particularly challenging amid uneven surfaces and scattered debris. Nearly 3 lakh people were estimated to have gone to the temple for prayers and pujas.
It can be recalled that HYDRAA recently removed encroachments in Madhapur to protect government and lake land reportedly worth Rs 12,200 crore. Devotees expressed disappointment that the debris and broken concrete remained uncleared in the surrounding area.
HYDRAA previously stated that if they demolish any structure, they will either ask the encroachers to remove the remaining debris on the ground, or the Agency will remove the debris and will charge the encroachers for the debris removal and disposal
Police imposed traffic restrictions, barricading stretches and restricting vehicles near the temple to regulate the flow. Queues were maintained from a distance to streamline darshan.