In many parts of the stadium, men and women are forced to use the same toilets as many are locked
Most of the athletes had to fend for themselves
Times News Network
In spite of the impending inauguration of the new Olympic Bhavan building, Kanteerava Stadium remains poorly maintained, particularly the state of the public toilets. Drawing attention to the conditions at the stadium, Social Activist Nagesh. N says that no one is concerned with the neglect of basic amenities. “Something needs to be done; the toilets are in horrific conditions.” In many parts of the stadium, men and women are forced to use the same toilets as many are locked. There is no running water available and the commodes are backed up. It is a major inconvenience for us all,” says a female athlete from the Andhra Pradesh, “toilet facilities are not clean, it’s not neat at all inside, there is no one to take care of them properly.” Toilets which are marked for the physically challenged too are in a pitiable state. A trainer from Gujarat tells us that it’s selectively maintained, “the washrooms upstairs are decent and we have been using them, but the ones on the ground floor are terrible. I could not even step inside.” It isn’t that there are no usable facilities, however, most of those seemed to remain locked up.
The new Karnataka Olympic Bhavan building is to be inaugurated by Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah has left some disgruntled. “These things will keep happening, but no one is taking notice of these problems,” says Nagesh.
In addition to the toilets, workers at the stadium live in horrific, cramped conditions. “This is how these people have been staying, you can see how there’s no running water here,” says one of the staff members. The officials concerned with the maintenance of the stadium and its facilities have turned a blind eye to these issues. “We have people who have come in from all over the country; there is no water for them to drink, the place is maintained very poorly, and it’s very pathetic to see,” he adds. Most of the athletes who come to participate in events have had to arrange for their own drinking water to be available during events, with others relying on their own means for other basic facilities to be taken care of.
Nimeshika Jayachandran is a student of NSoJ and is an intern with Times of India, Bangalore
