The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is ready for the Commonwealth Games.
Bathed in lights, immediately after a spell of showers on Monday evening, the stadium looked colourful and impressive.
Sprucing up was going on in several areas and finishing touches may yet take some more days, but officials allayed doubts about the firmness of the infield that had caused some anxiety earlier.
Cave-ins across the areas where a tunnel had been dug to accommodate a late request from people handling ceremonies had necessitated repairs on the track and had raised concerns about serious damage if rains did not abate.
Rains have continued, but the ground has been rolled after putting in 60 truck-loads of sand and mud to not only firm it up but also to plug eroded portions of the depressed areas.
Another ‘conducted tour'
A large group of mediapersons was given entry into the stadium on Monday, on yet another ‘conducted tour', like the one the previous day to four venues, by the Organising Committee (OC).
The Rs 40-crore-aerostat, now raised to 30 metres from its trial position of 10 metres, dominated the skies above as the stadium presented a breathtaking picture on Monday.
A puppet, hanging from the aerostat that will be used for a variety of purposes during the ceremonies, with A.R. Rahman's theme song of “Oh Yaaro…” in the background, set the tempo for television crews, cameramen and reporters.
“The puppet will be part of the opening ceremony,” an official said. It was not supposed to be displayed before the media.
Almost the whole ground has been protected by layers of rubberised material and other synthetic stuff. The ground will have to take the load of a variety of vehicles apart from a stage for the opening ceremony in the coming days.
Need for protection
The track will need protection all through till the opening ceremony gets over. The infield will be re-laid with fresh turf brought from Hapur, U.P., within a 48-hour period after the opening.
The giant screen has been erected; it will have to be tested and re-tested. The smaller scoreboard, positioned awkwardly on the south side, is still under construction.
The Press Box is almost ready. After having started with just chairs, it is now fitted with tables. The spacious alley will be a striking feature of the box.
