Trash turf in stadium – Hockey hope goes to waste

ROSHAN KUMAR

Patna, July 31: Youths of the state capital who want to wield the hockey stick like Dhyan Chand and Leslie Claudius will have to contend with a wasteland, literally.

The plot of land on the premises of Moin-ul-Haq Stadium that was to be developed as a hockey ground by Sports Authority of India (SAI) has turned into a makeshift garbage dump for a month.

Industrial waste, including metal and rubber, biological waste and garbage, has piled up on the ground spread across about two-and-a-half acres. For the last one month, Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been dumping garbage on the stadium premises but neither the stadium authorities nor officials from the state art, culture and youth affairs department have taken up the issue with the civic body.

Mritunjay Tiwari, the president of Bihar Players’ Association, said: “It is serious issue and immediate steps should be taken to remove the garbage. This plot was supposed to be developed as a hockey ground for SAI players. The SAI football ground is also adjacent to the dumping ground.”

In the 1980s a plan was tabled to develop a plot of land on the premises of the stadium as a hockey ground for SAI players. The proposal is still in a limbo.

Besides the proposed hockey turf, the civic authorities have been dumping waste near the SAI hostel, where players reside.

Shivchander Kumar, a volleyball player who lives at the hostel, said the stench of garbage made life difficult for them. He added that if the trash was not removed immediately, it would lead to health problems for the players, as medical wastes were also being dumped in the area from the hospitals and clinics nearby.

Shivchander said: “We have sent several requests to the stadium authorities and to senior SAI authorities. But our requests have had no effect. The stadium authorities said they were ignorant of who had instructed garbage to be dumped on the premises of the sport facility.”

Arun Kumar Sinha, the manager of Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, said: “I have no idea on whose instruction and order the civic authorities have started to dump garbage on the stadium premises. Earlier, the garbage trucks used to enter through the front gate of the stadium. But that stopped after our protest. Dumping, though, has continued over the boundary wall.”

Senior officers of PMC have no clue about the dumping of waste on the stadium premises.

Chandrama Singh, the additional commissioner of the planning and development of PMC, said: “I have no idea about dumping of garbage on the stadium premises. However, as you have told us about it, we will enquire and take steps to remove the garbage.”