From glory to gloom Nurpur’s Atal Indoor Stadium faces rapid decay

Built with much fanfare and at a staggering cost of Rs 5.99 crore, the Atal Indoor Stadium at Chogan Ground in Nurpur is fast turning into a monument of neglect. Once hailed as a beacon of sports infrastructure in Kangra district, the stadium today wears a look of abandonment, its wooden courts and basic facilities deteriorating with every passing day.

The stadium, inaugurated by former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on June 2, 2022, had been developed through the Ropeway Transport Development Corporation following the initiative of then Sports and Youth Affairs Minister and local MLA, Rakesh Pathania. For a brief period, it appeared to put Nurpur on the sporting map — hosting the 43rd Senior State Basketball Championship and even a national-level badminton event. However, two years down the line, the grand facility has slipped into disrepair, a victim of official apathy and shifting political priorities.

The recent spell of incessant rainfall only exposed the fragile state of the stadium. Water seeped inside, inundating the playing area and damaging the wooden badminton court at several spots. Local players who frequent the venue now fear that without immediate repair, the stadium will soon be rendered unusable.

Ironically, the users — children and adults alike — continue to pay monthly charges of Rs 300 and Rs 600, respectively, to the management committee. Yet, they complain of no drinking water, no reliable lighting and almost non-existent sanitation. “If the authorities cannot ensure basic upkeep, then the Sports Department must step in,” demand sportspersons Sunil Kumar and Pankaj Kaushal. “Otherwise, crores spent on this massive project will go down the drain.”

When the stadium first opened, staff had been temporarily deputed by the Sports Department and fresh recruitment was in process. But the change of government saw these plans shelved. In December 2023, the financially constrained Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government handed over the stadium’s operations to a 10-member sub-divisional committee headed by the SDM of Nurpur. The committee includes seven officials and two non-official members, but maintenance standards have nosedived since the takeover.

Residents of Nurpur, particularly the youth and sports enthusiasts, are deeply disheartened. What was meant to be a launchpad for sporting talent has instead become an underutilised, decaying facility. The state’s “Vayvastha Parivartan” slogan rings hollow for them. Former Sports Minister Rakesh Pathania minced no words, accusing the government of betraying the promise of nurturing sports infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Nurpur SDM, who chairs the management committee, acknowledged the deteriorating condition. “We will review the structural damages and take up the matter with the Kangra district sports officer,” he said, assuring that steps for urgent repair and upkeep will follow.

For now, the stadium stands as a grim reminder of how political transitions and poor planning can push a promising sports facility into oblivion. If timely intervention is not taken, the Atal Indoor Stadium may soon exist only as a memory of what could have been a thriving hub for youth and athletics in the region.