District Superintendent of Police Vivek Srivastav told Express Newsline that there was information that a large number of devotees from the rural belt of the district planned to immerse the idols in river Narmada because of unavailability of adequate water in the local water bodies.

He said that sufficient manpower had been deployed, and two boats provided at each of the two places on the banks of the Narmada, apart from swimmers from the homeguard and a police force for rescue operations in case of any mishap.

The water current in the river, according to Srivastava, was very strong and fast at the two places because of heavy rains in its catchment areas in Madhya Pradesh. Devotees could get washed away in case of any negligence, he said.

The local population's religious belief is that not immersing the idols properly brings bad luck. This is why people to go to the Narmada for the immersion, Srivastava said.