Govt mulls separate PWD division for upkeep of Salt Lake Stadium

Kolkata: The state government is contemplating to set up a separate and dedicated division of the state Public Works Department comprising senior engineers to ensure proper maintenance of the internationally acclaimed Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan.

This comes at the time when the stadium has bagged the opportunity of organising the final of the Indian Super League (ISL) after successful completion of the FIFA Under-17 Football World Cup matches including the final.

It may be mentioned that the Mamata Banerjee-government has renovated the stadium at a cost of more than Rs 200 crore ahead of the Under-17 World Cup and people from all across the world including the FIFA President Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino acknowledged the step taken by the state government in developing the stadium to an international one.

The state PWD had carried out the entire renovation work. The state Youth Services and Sports department wrote to the PWD to take up the charge to maintain the stadium.

According to a senior official of the PWD, there are many aspects that have to be kept in mind for maintenance of the stadium. The most important aspect is constant monitoring and at the same time there has to be experts to maintain the civil, electrical, information technology and other infrastructures separately. "The task of maintenance is so huge that it would not be possible to carry it out without setting up a separate dedicated division, the head of which will be an executive engineer with assistant and junior engineers working under him," the official said.

It is learnt that the maintenance work needs an investment of 5 percent of the total renovation cost that would stand close to around Rs 1 crore every month.

Recently, there was a high level meeting to discuss preparations for the forthcoming ISL that is going to be started from November 17. The PWD officials were also present in the meeting.

Before the ISL starts, the task of ensuring supply of safe drinking water for spectators will be completed. During the Under-17 World Cup matches, drinking water pouches were distributed. But from ISL onwards, there will be enclosures in each of the blocks of the stadium where safe drinking water will be supplied through pipelines.

It may be mentioned that the state Youth Services and Sports department has also urged the state Forest department to beautify the stadium with seasonal flowers in the winter that will make the stadium look more attractive.