Jawaharlal Nehru stadium will host opening, closing ceremonies of Commonwealth Games
The Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, one of the venues of the Commonwealth Games 2010, is being upgraded under a plan that promises not to spoil the view of three nearby heritage structures.
With this, the central government hopes to silence all those environmentalists and conservation lovers who have been crying hoarse over projects linked to the Commonwealth Games damaging the city's heritage and greenery .
The new-look stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games 2010, will weave the heritage structures into a new landscape planned for the area.
There are three 18th century heritage structures within the sprawling 115-acre stadium complex and engineers said all three would be integrated with the venue.
The stadium will have additional facilities like warm-up area, a weightlifting hall, lawn balls, a new administrative block and media and hostel accommodation for the Commonwealth Games. Of these only two venues are near the heritage structures. The lawn balls venue has been kept 100m away from the unmarked tomb and the warm-up seating area is being kept very low scale so that it's height is lesser than the 3.2m high tomb near it.
"Only one of the tombs is a protected structure but landscaping work is being taken up around all the three tombs. One of the tombs is within 12feet of the stadium and it has been given special treatment.
The ramps on either side of the structure have been kept at four metres - instead of nine - and has been visually integrated with the stadium structure," a senior engineer at the site said.
The design approval for the upgradation was obtained by the CPWD after much hair-splitting with independent experts of the Delhi Urban Art Commission. The Art Commis sion had given specific instructions for improving the landscaping around the stadium and a landscape architect was also attached with the project to determine the type of plantation and landscaping to blend nature with architecture.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will take up the conservation of the tombs.
From: HT, May-03-08
