Angul: With only days to go for district level Independence Day to be celebrated at Angul stadium here, the district administration continues to remain concerned over the safety aspects of one of the two bleachers in the stadium.
Out of the two bleachers in this stadium, one has been declared unsafe. The administration used to arrange for visitors to sit on these to watch the parade in past years.
During the preparatory meeting for the Independence Day celebrations, many advised the district administration against allowing visitors to that gallery given the dilapidated condition of one those stands.
The collector, Angul sub collector, ADM and other officials recently visited the stadium to see the condition of the stand.
“After being convinced that one of the bleachers here is unsafe to use, a meeting was held with the Works Department. It will be repaired. Meanwhile, if required, it will be put out of bounds for visitors during the parade,” said collector Manoj Kumar Mohanty.
If the other gallery is filled to the brim, visitors will be allowed to witness the parade from near the barricade in the field, he added.
Notably, the bleacher was declared unsafe after flakes of plaster kept coming off even after several rounds of repair. While the stadium is under the control of District Athletics Club, Talcher Angul Meramandali Development Authority (TAMDA) constructed it.
After one of the bleachers was declared unsafe, the district administration had asked for a detail report from Works Department for its repair.
“We had informed the administration that the repair would cost Rs1,63,29,000. But we are yet to get any response from them,” sources in the Works Department said.
Meanwhile, social activists and athletes met the collector and submitted a memorandum requesting prompt steps for restoration of the stadium.
The memorandum says the condition of the stadium is going from bad to worse by the day due to lack of maintenance. Hence, the administration has been urged to take steps for restoration and development of the stadium and install CCTV cameras at gates.
PNN