Harpreet Kaur Lamba

New Delhi

Dec. 5: Commonwealth Games organising committee president Suresh Kalmadi it seems has jumped the gun once again. The showcase pitch for the National Stadium will be ready by December 15, Kalmadi said on Friday, clearly ignoring ground realities.

With barely 10 days to go for the deadline, the Central Public Works Department — in-charge of stadia construction for the 2010 Commonwealth Games — and construction company Unity InfraProjects Limited are at loggerheads over the installation of astroturf on the main pitch.

Said a senior company official, who did not wish to be named, “There is no way that the pitch can be ready by December 15. Laying down a turf is a step-by-step procedure. You cannot hurry it, based on deadline pressure.”

According to international rules, the concrete surface must be fully cured and washed to remove all excessive chemical materials prior to the installation of an astroturf. “We have the asphalt surface ready, but it will require a minimum of 20 days for oil and water to evaporate. Once that happens, it takes another 20 days to install the surface.”

International norms define that proper curing time can even range from 30 to 60 days after the concrete installation, and poor drainage may encourage moss growth

“There is a high risk involved in rolling out an astroturf without proper curing. The turf can develop wrinkles within days and there can be uneven bounce. With an event like the World Cup to be staged, it is a definite risk,” the official said.

The CPWD and the Sports Authority of India, on the other hand, are hard-pressed for time, and have directed the construction company to begin he installation in a day or two. “Everyone is trying to hide their flaws by speeding up work now. There was a long delay in importing the astroturf, and hence this chaos,” he said.

In desperation, the company has finally shot off a letter asking the SAI and the CPWD to own up.

“What else can we do? We cannot take guarantees. Everyone is aware of the issues involved, but are still adamant. We will start work once we receive something in writing. Also, we will be withdrawing the seven-year guarantee (for the turf) which was part of our initial contract,” he said.

The unavailability of the scoreboards is another headache, while SAI’s last minute changes in the dressing room plans has added to the delay.

CPWD superintending engineer Rajendra Kalla refused to comment on the matter, saying “only the SAI was authorised to issue a statement”. SAI officials were unable for comment.