Pune’s Balewadi Sports Complex plagued by water shortage

By Joe Williams | Place: Pune | Agency: DNA

With the swanky Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi reeling under water scarcity, the Indian Hockey Federation shifted its national camp to Delhi a few months ago.

Although the sports complex’s daily requirement of water is about five lakh litres a day, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is able to supply about 3.5 lakh litres daily.

Water is required for watering the polygrass hockey surface, housekeeping, hostel, staff quarters, swimming pools and other facilities.

The hockey authorities decided to shift the camp to New Delhi as the supply of water needed to be sprayed on the astroturf surface for practising was erratic. It is mandatory to water the turf before the practice and during the intervals while the practice session is on.

“The sports complex is facing problems on the water front,’’ the state joint director of sports and youth affairs, Narendra Sopal, admitted to DNA.

However, he denied that the national hockey camp was shifted out of Pune due to water problem at the sports complex.

“We could have met the water requirement for spraying the surface with water tankers,’’ Sopal claimed.

Interestingly, in 2009 too, the national hockey camp had to be stalled for few days as there was no water for spraying the astroturf surface. More recently, the hockey coaching camps had to be cancelled for two days as the surface went dry and there was no water for spraying the surface.

The water shortage problem aggravates during summer when the number of sports activities increase at the complex.

“The national shooting camp is underway and four sports academies have started their activities in Balewadi,’’ sports officials said.

According to incharge of the sports complex Sanjay Sabnis, Nikhil Kanetkar’s badminton academy, along with table tennis, tennis and shooting academies are conducting camps at present. These camps have evoked a good response.