For the past two Sundays now, the 2 km stretch starting from Jaipal Singh Stadium and continuing along Mahatma Gandhi Road is cleared of vehicles for Raahgiri Day, where denizens of Ranchi come out to walk, cycle and play a variety of sports.
Ironically though, the landmark which begins the starting point of all this revelry is no more than a dilapidated stadium now waiting to be restored to its previous glory. Whatever part of the ground remains clear for playing is used by children from nearby localities for casual matches, mostly of cricket, but hardly qualifies for being sufficient for seriously practising or playing any sport.
As of now, the playground is unfit for playing, as half of it is taken up by clay, whereas the rest remains covered by pebbles and plastic bags. Even the slightest of rains, as predicted by the State Meteorological Department earlier today, threatens to turn the stadium into a mud-filled expanse of ground.
More interestingly, who unloaded heaps of earth at the stadium grounds eluded even the civic guardians of Ranchi. The soil might have been dumped at Jaipal Singh Stadium to fill the crater which fills up with water in monsoon, speculated Mayor Asha lakra.
located in the heart of the city, and a stone’s throw away from the offices of Ranchi Municipal Corporation, the stadium was opened in 1978 and was named after legendary hockey player Jaipal Singh Munda. Intended to be a multipurpose sports ground, the stadium is now no more than a collection of office buildings for several sports associations and residences for some.
local chapter of Amateur Silambam Federation of India, Jharkhand State Wrestling Association and District Kabaddi Association have relatively cleaner offices on the ground floor while the entrance to the ground from the pavilion remains blocked by filth and discarded sports equipment. The area on first floor of the pavilion, which leads to viewers’ gallery, has been closed off and is being used as makeshift studio apartments by some bachelors.
“This is unauthorised. The stadium is meant for hosting sports events and not to be used as residential space. We will look into the matter,” stated the Mayor.
The plans for renovating Jaipal Singh Stadium are also in the offing, she assured. “We are waiting for work to begin on the vending zone to be made south of the stadium, which is likely to happen by April.
The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the stadium is in the pipeline too.
We are sorting through the various ideas that we have come across. Jaipal Singh Stadium will be developed into a state of art sports ground in the heart of Ranchi for its residents.”