Chandigarh Adviser Dharam Pal lays stone for synthetic athletics track

Chandigarh, October 30

Finally, the city will have its first synthetic athletics track. UT Adviser Dharam Pal laid the foundation stone of an eight-lane synthetic athletics track at the Sector 7 Sports Complex here today.

The 400m eight-lane synthetic track (spread on 7,342 square meter) will replace the existing cinder track. The new arena will also have facilities for other events such as pole vault set up, water jump hurdle, shot put throwing circle (2.135m), discuss/hammer throw circle (2.50m), aluminium kerbing 400m standard track, javelin throw and pits for long jump, triple jump and provision for high jump.

The project, which was hanging fire, got a major push after the joining of Dr Sunil Rayat, Joint Director Sports.

“It’s good that we managed to get approval for this project. There were some problems, but with the help of the higher authorities and experts from the UT Administration, we got a solution. This complex is going to be a boom for city athletes,” said Rayat.

Having deprived of a synthetic track, Chandigarh is the last among neighbouring states to provide this facility to its athletes. The agreement amount for the completion of this project is Rs 6,11,34,068. The electrical work will cost Rs 1.20 crore. The previously floated tender was of Rs 7,25,75,433 (having earnest money of Rs 14,51,510). It was later cancelled on July 9. The tender was refloated for Rs 6,80,02,300 (having earnest money of Rs 13,60,046), with a difference of Rs 45,73,133.

The project to lay an all-weather synthetic track made of polyurethane was put on paper in 2012. However, the plan remained restricted to official files. As per the actual plan, it was decided to build a full-fledged 10-lane track at the Sector 46 Sports Complex. But the planning committee sought to acquire some portion of the adjoining Sector 46 Post Graduate Government College for the project, which delayed the process.

The planning again started in 2017. After a wait of two years, stakeholders finally agreed to build the track at the Sector 7 Sports Complex. An estimate of Rs 3.90 crore was submitted for laying an eight-lane synthetic turf at the site, that year.