Miscreants wreak havoc as Nehru Stadium lies in tatters

Pic: The indoor sports complex is damaged. Lift buttons and other things have been damaged, door locks were broken and electricity switches also damaged.Hubballi: The facilities at Nehru Stadium have been damaged by miscreants due to the utter negligence of the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC). The civic body has failed to properly monitor, protect, and maintain the infrastructure created at the stadium, allowing a valuable public asset to fall into disrepair.Nehru Stadium was redeveloped under the Smart City Mission at a cost of over Rs 25 crore, with the promise of becoming a major centre for sports and indoor activities in the city. However, nearly two years after the inauguration of these upgraded facilities, the stadium remains largely underutilised.At present, apart from cricket and, to some extent, badminton, no other sporting activities have been started in the redeveloped complex. This is even though two large buildings were specially constructed to house a range of indoor sports and training facilities. These include spaces for mat kabaddi, mat wrestling, karate training, chess, carrom, gymnastics, table tennis, coach rooms, VIP lounge, and several other activities. Such infrastructure was meant to encourage young sportspersons, provide training opportunities, and promote a vibrant sporting culture in the city.The condition of the structures is alarming. Keyboards and control panels have been damaged, lift buttons and related systems have been broken, electrical boards have been vandalised, and several glass windows have been shattered. The damage clearly indicates that the premises have not been properly secured or supervised. Public money has been spent on creating these facilities, but the lack of accountability and maintenance has rendered much of the investment ineffective.Gurunath Ullikashi, social activist, said that it is unfortunate that a stadium developed with such high expectations under a flagship urban mission has been allowed to deteriorate so quickly. The authorities must immediately inspect the premises, assess the extent of the damage, repair the facilities, and ensure that all intended sports activities are started without further delay. If timely action is not taken, the city risks losing an important sports hub and wasting crores of rupees spent for public benefit.Santosh Chavan, deputy mayor of HDMC, said that it was very unfortunate to hear that sporting facilities provided under the Smart City mission at Nehru Stadium were gathering dust. He said discussions would soon be held with the Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City Limited MD and the HDMC commissioner to ensure all the sporting facilities were utilised and maintained in order.