By Biplab Kr Dey
RESUBELPARA, June 28: Launched amidst huge fanfare, despite these projects being far from complete, two stadiums in North Garo Hills, the Chenanggre stadium in Adokgre and the Hamilton Stadium in Bajengdoba, have already begun to show signs of wear and tear, once again corroborating the execution of shoddy work by the contractors.
Chenanggre Stadium
Adokgre and by its extension, the Chenangre stadium is politically and emotionally important to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma due to the reason that his father, PA Sangma, always launched his election campaigns from this small village and from the same venue – the stadium. On expected lines, the stadium was set for an upgrade as it deserved one, if only for its significance to the families.
However, the project was inaugurated far ahead of its completion, with locals stating that only 30 per cent of the work had been executed when the stadium was hastily inaugurated during a spree by the NPP-led MDA government.
Presently, according to one of the workers at the site, only 60 per cent of the work is complete with the ground itself still not being suitable to play on – one of the first requisites for a football stadium.
“When it was announced and work began at the site, we were extremely happy that a significant move had been made to improve sporting infrastructure in our area. This stadium has seen and will attract many of our aspiring talents and that is why there is a need for it to be made with extreme care,” said Jony G Momin, a local.
Earlier, villagers had informed that the stadium, despite not being completed, was already, worryingly, showing signs of wear and tear.
“Cracks have developed in almost all places, including the foundations of all three galleries. One of the galleries foundations has developed cracks due to a section sinking. These are now being re-plastered. The seats too have developed small cracks to show they had not been done with care or with the right materials. Further, they used AAC blocks to make major portions of the stadium and this is one of the reasons that cracks have developed,” added another local, Carfius Sangma.
Residents added that normal cement, without any additives, as required for AAC blocks, were used and these have a history of cracking if an additional solution is not used.
When one of the main workers at the site was questioned about the development of cracks, he nonchalantly answered that these would be repaired without even trying to defend their work.
When asked as to why it was already cracking, he informed that they had sought the solution for the AAC blocks but were not provided the same. They had to make do with what the contractor provided.
“It seems they have got a license to do substandard work and then repair these for the public. This is an important milestone in our village and this callous attitude is sure to cause problems going forward,” added Jony.
The contractor for the said project is apparently a Guwahati-based resident, PK Agarwala, though there was no confirmation from any source about the cost of the project or its contractor. Even the District Sports Office (DSO) was unaware of the details or the nature of the contract.
The project was started back in 2020 and despite the passage of three years, it is yet to see completion. The reason for the delay apparently is the large number of projects that are being handled by the contractor in the state.
Appallingly, despite the project completion being delayed, only 3-4 workers were found at the site of the stadium working on its completion.
While the stadium itself will stand, most sections of the stadium, in time, are expected to wear out quickly unless some major changes are made.
Hamilton Stadium
A project that was desired by the entire constituency since it was announced, the predicament faced by the Hamilton Stadium, which stands close to a river and is in a flood-prone area, wore a deserted look during the visit on Tuesday.
This comes despite the fact that the stadium is far from complete. The first thing one can notice, upon close inspection, is that the project seems to have been abandoned even at this time despite it being inaugurated just a few months prior to the recently concluded Assembly elections in March.
The stadium has a seating gallery only towards the left, upon entry with the field being fenced in completely.
What struck upon entry into the stadium is that like in the case of Adokgre, huge cracks along almost every section of the gallery were commonplace. Further, the foundations to the gallery were already visible due to erosion and did not inspire confidence that the structure would stand.
Further, in one of the stands, a crack lining the entire top seat was visible and seemed to be widening. With rains predicted in the coming months, the structure could take further damage and may even collapse, just like the case of the PA Sangma sports complex retaining wall.
No information on the contractor could be gathered as there was no one available to speak to at the site. One of the glass windows of the main pavilion was shattered and lay strewn everywhere. Whether it was done by vandals or whether the loose structure of the window was responsible could not be ascertained.
At the back of the same pavilion, more cracks were seen towards the toilets.
“You don’t need to be a technical expert to understand that the work being done and already completed is shoddy. There are more cracks than there are seats in the stadium. Given that the area is flood-prone, can this stadium really stand the test of time? The contractor needs to be hauled up and things set right,” stated a local during the visit.
He added that during the start of the work itself, no rods were used in the construction of the pavilions.
“They only used boulders to create the seating area after creating a foundation. We had complained about this but they were unwilling to listen to us and continued to work in their way. Till now there is no water connection to the stadium despite them promising to provide the same. Further the field has been fenced without any support. There are too many things that are wrong and need to be corrected,” stated the resident.
Another added that politics should not be the agenda for development when it came to the case of such infrastructure.
“We have to call out substandard work so that our children don’t face these problems in the future. After all, these infrastructures are supposed to last for posterity. No matter which party one may be affiliated with, it is yours and mine children who will be using these and it’s better to be safe than sorry,” said another villager from Bajengdoba on condition of anonymity.
Interestingly, construction in all the stadiums, PA Sangma, Chenanggre and Hamilton are being overseen by the State Sports Council of Meghalaya (SSCM).