16 years on, Alappuzha’s EMS Stadium still not ready for a sports meet

Alappuzha: The EMS Stadium was inaugurated 16 years ago, in August 2010, celebrated as the district’s very own stadium. A child born that year would now be in higher secondary school, but would still not have had the chance to play on its grounds. This year too, there’s no hope of them getting that opportunity.

Although officials repeatedly claim the current phase of construction will be completed within days, a decision on awarding the contract for the synthetic track is still pending. Even if the contract is signed, construction is likely to be prolonged. The Sports Ministry will hand over the stadium to the municipality only after the current works and the track are fully completed. While the tender procedures for the track are complete, the contract has not yet been signed. Any further delay in this will consequently push the stadium’s opening forward again.

Officials claim 90% work complete
KIDCO officials, who are overseeing the construction, state that over 90% of the work at EMS Stadium is complete and that it will be handed over this month. The Sports Ministry is directly supervising the project. The current construction includes the natural turf, dressing rooms, drainage system and tanks.

Although a tender has been awarded for the synthetic track, the contract has not yet been signed due to a lack of necessary permissions from KIFBI. Officials state that once the contract is signed, and provided the monsoon subsides, the synthetic track can be constructed in four months. The completion of the track at EMS Stadium would finally resolve the long-standing issue of the district lacking a 400-metre track. An estimate for gallery renovation has been submitted, but approval is still pending.

A stadium in disrepair
The stadium, which has remained closed for years under the pretext of construction, is now on the brink of dilapidation. While construction on the ground progresses slowly, all other sections lie in disrepair. The galleries are overgrown with weeds and filled with garbage. At night, the stadium often becomes a haunt for anti-social elements.

Disputes over the stadium's land also remain unresolved. Even the fencing, completed amidst much controversy, is now overgrown. It has become a never-ending cycle: by the time one part is completed, another section of the stadium has already deteriorated.

Track construction yet to begin
Every year, officials express hope that the following year's sports festival can be hosted at EMS Stadium. The situation is no different this year. Due to the lack of a track, the sports meet cannot be held here this year either. Since its inauguration in 2010, only throwing events from school sports meets have been hosted here once or twice.

In stark contrast, political functions and private events have been held regularly. It was only years after the inauguration that the construction of the football turf, a feature prominently promised during the initial announcements, even commenced. And the synthetic track, also announced at the time, has still not begun construction.