In preparation for the upcoming Bibi Ka Aalam procession to be held on the occasion of Ashura during the holy month of Moharram, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Sri V.C. Sajjanar, IPS, chaired a high-level coordination meeting at the Salar Jung Museum Auditorium on Friday.
Addressing religious leaders, public representatives and senior officials from various government departments, the Commissioner called for close coordination among all stakeholders to ensure the historic procession is conducted peacefully and without inconvenience to devotees.
Emphasising the significance of the centuries old tradition observed by the Shia Muslim community, Sajjanar stated that the police department has already taken extensive security measures and advance preparations along the entire procession route.
According to the Commissioner, the Bibi Ka Aalam procession will commence from Bibi Ka Aalam Ashoor Khana in Dabeerpura and proceed through Ettebar Chowk, Kotla Aliza, Panjesha, Meeralam Mandi, Charminar, Gulzar House, Purani Haveli, Darushifa, before concluding at Masjid e Ilahi in Chaderghat.
To facilitate the smooth movement of devotees and the general public, authorities have prepared a comprehensive traffic diversion plan and arranged adequate parking facilities. Additional police platoons, along with personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), will be deployed to maintain law and order during the event.
Special attention has also been given to women’s safety, with task force teams conducting continuous surveillance throughout the procession. Officials said that all necessary precautions are being taken based on experiences from previous years to prevent any untoward incidents.
The meeting also focused on the safety and welfare of the elephant participating in the procession. Authorities were instructed to ensure that the elephant arrives in the city well in advance and is provided adequate rest. Organisers and volunteers have been directed to maintain a sufficient buffer zone around the elephant to prevent overcrowding. A veterinary team under the supervision of the Nehru Zoological Park has been asked to remain on standby, with tranquilising equipment available to address any emergency situations.
In a move to strengthen monitoring and emergency response, the entire procession route will be jointly supervised by the police and other government departments through CCTV surveillance from the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Banjara Hills.
Representatives of the Shia community raised concerns regarding road repairs, low hanging electrical wires, drinking water supply, sanitation and other civic issues along the procession route. Officials from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) and the Electricity Department assured that the identified issues would be addressed promptly.
The coordination meeting was attended by MLC Mirza Riaz ul Hasan Effendi; MLAs Mir Zulfiqar Ali, Zafar Hussain Mehraj, and Ahmed Bin Abdullah; Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Tafseer Iqbal, IPS; Joint Commissioners D. Joel Davis, IPS and N. Swetha, IPS; Charminar Zone DCP Khare Kiran Prabhakar, IPS; DCP Traffic-II Rahul Hegde, IPS; DCP CAR Headquarters R. Venkateswaralu, IPS; senior officials from GHMC, the Health Department, Electricity Department, Roads & Buildings Department, Water Board, Fire Services and Nehru Zoological Park, along with prominent religious leaders and representatives of the Shia and Sunni communities.
The Hyderabad Police appealed to devotees and the public to extend their cooperation and adhere to official guidelines to ensure the peaceful and successful conduct of the Moharram procession.
