4th T20I, India vs Australia: Electricity woes, power struggles at Chhattisgarh’s SVNS international stadium | Cricket News

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, the venue for the fourth T20I between India and Australia on Friday evening, has continuously faced neglect from the state sports department. This department frequently shifts responsibility to other departments regarding the maintenance of this significant sports facility. The situation has reached a critical point where a temporary electricity connection was recently obtained due to the disconnection of power supply owing to outstanding dues exceeding Rs 3.16 crore.
This approach by various state departments, including the Public Works Department (PWD) responsible for stadium maintenance and the Chhattisgarh Sports Department, has hindered the state’s ability to secure more ICC matches.Following the initial ICC ODI between New Zealand and India on January 21, the T20I between Australia and India will be the second international match at theSVNS Stadium, which was prepared to host major matches back in 2011-12.

Previously, the Sports Department of Chhattisgarh used to levy a charge of Rs 3 lakh per day when the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) organized significant events. Clearing the electricity bill is the responsibility of this department. However, for the past five years, this responsibility has been shifted elsewhere.

Despite the restoration of a temporary connection, the CSCS has arranged generators for emergency situations. To host a match under floodlights, a power connection of 1000 kilowatts is necessary. Notably, for stadium-wide lighting and air conditioning, a minimum connection of 435 kilowatts is required. However, for floodlights, 600 kilowatts of electricity will be necessary, for which the CSCS has procured generators costing around 1.44 crore.
The stadium’s electricity bill has remained unpaid for almost five years, resulting in the electricity department disconnecting the supply in 2018. The dispute over bill payments involves the Chhattisgarh Cricket Association, the PWD department, and the Sports department. The CSCS has urged the state departments to transfer stadium ownership to them, allowing the sports body, affiliated with the BCCI, to manage it entirely. However, the PWD and the Sports Department have evaded addressing this issue.

Meanwhile, the CSCS has stated that floodlights will continue operating uninterrupted via the generators due to fears of light disruptions and accidents if operated on electricity. To prevent mishaps, the floodlights are being powered by generators. Restarting the floodlights takes roughly half an hour once they are switched off. Additionally, the generator will maintain an automatic connection to electricity.
The Sports department bears the responsibility for paying the electricity bill and managing sports activities at the stadium, while the CSCS solely handles maintenance tasks.