RTI activist reveals environmental clearance, parking slots and access roads for the newly redeveloped stadium are all missing
RTI activist reveals environmental clearance, parking slots and access roads for the newly redeveloped stadium are all missingAS the World Cup ticket controversy rages on, another question mark looms over the fate of the Wankhede stadium, where three World Cup cricket matches including the final on April 2, are to be held. The stadium still does not have the necessary environmental clearance.
The Wankhede stadium is supposed to host New Zealand versus
Canada cricket match on March 13. Pic/Atul kambleRTI activist Amit Maru raised the issue with State Environment Secretary Valsa Nair Singh in a letter dated February 8, 2011, highlighting several violations pertaining to the building of the stadium. He also pointed out that the Ministry of Environment and Forest has not cleared the stadium as being game-ready.
Singh forwarded Maru's complaints to the office of the Chief Conservator of Forest in Bhopal on February 21, asking them to inspect the stadium.
Speaking to Sunday MiD DAY, Singh said, "I have sent the matter to the appropriate authority and they need to verify the same. Only they can decide about the match." Attempts to contact Dr D V Negi, the chief conservator, did not yield any result.
Maru's lawyer Y P Singh said, "Till the time that the compliance report for environment clearance is given, there is an uncertainty on the World Cup matches to be played in the stadium." The environmental clearance is of particular significance since the stadium has been built on Coastal Regulation Zone area.
In his letter to the state environment secretary Maru also threw light on discrepancies between the initial proposal for the Wankhede stadium and the final result. Maru, who obtained various documents on the development plans of the stadium from the BMC Building Proposal Department through the Right to Information Act, found that the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) had proposed to make provisions for 3,370 parking slots with 330 within the stadium premises itself.
The MCA, which was responsible for the redevelopment of the Wankhede stadium, had planned to make 2,000 parking provisions on the footpath, besides using the Mumbai University and Hockey Association grounds for parking.
However, Maru's letter contends, no such provisions have been made. Maru also submitted a written complaint to the State Anti Corruption Bureau asking them to initiate a probe against Chief Fire Officer Uday Tatkare and MCA officials (Sunday MiD DAY possesses copies of the documents).
"At the start of the project, the MCA asked for Rs 85 crore. By the completion of the project, the amount shot up to Rs 300 crore. What has the money been used for? It looks like most of it has gone to grease the palms of government officials," said Maru.
The complaint also points out that while four access roads for fire tenders had been proposed, only one was made. Only the access road on the South Pavilion side (which has the VIP stand) has been constructed, while the access roads on the North, West and East sides (where the general crowd will sit) have not been built.
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The documents reveal that the deviation from the original plans occurred, as the Mumbai University and the Mumbai Hockey Association refused to part with their lands through which the access roads were meant to pass.
Maru, however, held Tatkare responsible for this lapse. "The basic requirement of fire clearance is to ensure that the fire tender reaches every part of the stadium. The chief fire officer decided to keep his eyes closed for the pecuniary advantage of Mumbai Cricket Association," he said.
Tatkare rubbished the allegations levied on him and said, "We acted on the complaint received from Maru on February 8 that stated that a fire No Objection Certificate should not be given, as the matter was being heard in the court. Three fire officers inspected the stadium and submitted their report. We went ahead and gave the NOC on the basis of that report, stating at the same time that the certificate is subject to the court's decision."
Till the time the BMC provides an Occupation Certificateu00a0-- subject to environmental clearances and Fire NOCsu00a0-- the Mumbai police cannot give permission to hold matches at the stadium.
( MiD DAY has copies of both documents.)
