Stadium renovation set to miss deadline

Strap: 45% work done so far; officials say work hit as just 20% labourers returned after lockdown

What’s new

* Former senior cricket coach Rajkumar said the project aimed at not only increasing the seats for spectators from 25,000 to 40,000, but also providing a new lease of life through state-of-art infrastructure

* It will have new pitches, fresh grass-laden ground, digital scoreboard, parking and world-class facilities for spectators and players

* “The pitch and the ground will have water-soaking capacity to avoid disturbance during rain,” he said

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, September 9

The renovation work of the Nahar Singh International Cricket Stadium is taking place at a snail’s pace as less than 45 per cent work has been completed so far and the deadline of the Rs 115-crore project will end this month.

It is the only international cricket stadium in the state.

“Started in January last year, the work was supposed to be completed within 20 months. But given the pace of the work, it is not likely to be over even in the next one year,” claims a source in the sports department here.

“The work completed so far mainly includes the civil construction, while majority part of the project is connected with the facilities that are expected to take ample time,” says an official on the condition of anonymity.

Claiming that the work was severely hit by the pandemic and the lockdown, he said only 18-20 per cent of the labourers had returned to work so far. Admitting slow pace of the work, Rajesh Kumar, a worker at site, said shortage of labour and equipment had affected the work.

Rajkumar, former senior cricket coach, said the project aimed at not only increasing the seats for spectators from 25,000 to 40,000, but also providing a new lease of life through state-of-art infrastructure, including new pitches, fresh grass-laden ground, digital scoreboard, parking and world-class facilities for spectators and players. “The pitch and the ground will have water-soaking ability to avoid disturbance during rain,” he said.

Built in 1981, it holds the credit for hosting eight ODIs and more than 50 matches of Ranji and Deodhar trophies. While the first ODI was played on January 19, 1988, the last one was held on March 31, 2006. With a cricket nursery operational here, the maintenance of the stadium is with the sports department.

DC Yashpal Yadav said efforts were on to ensure completion of the project within the minimum possible time frame.