One of the stands at Green Park in Kanpur deemed dangerous ahead of IND vs BAN 2nd Test 2024 - Reports
The Green Park in Kanpur is set to host its first Test in two years, and while already battling security concerns, the venue also boasts structural issues. With only a couple of days remaining for the upcoming series finale between India and Bangladesh, the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) has adjudged one of the stands to be dangerous, as per The Indian Express.
As a result, not all seats of the stand in question will be put on sale for the fans. According to the aforementioned report, Balcony C will witness less than half of its capacity being allotted. Government officials believe that the stand will be unable to bear the load of a full capacity, and there are risks of collapse.
“The PWD has raised some issues and we have agreed that we will not sell all the tickets of Balcony C. “We have been told to sell only 1700 tickets for the stand, which has a capacity of 4,800. The repair work will continue for the next couple of day,” UPCA CEO Ankit Chatterjee told The Indian Express.
During the build-up to the contest, a set of engineers spent hours at the site to assess the damage and come to a conclusion regarding its availability to fans. Following the inspection, the PWD officers and the UPCA officials held a meeting on Tuesday evening and concluded to not leave it fully open.
"This stand won’t be able to take the weight of even 50 fans, if they start jumping after Rishabh Pant hits a six" - PWD Engineer on Kanpur's Green Park state
The state of the stand is so dire that even if a fraction of the entire capacity is occupied it could result in some serious damage.
“This stand won’t be able to take the weight of even 50 fans, if they start jumping after Rishabh Pant hits a six. This part of the stadium is in dire need of repair,” a PWD engineer in Kanpur told the Indian Express
The venue also faces issue with floodlights, and with fading light being a concern in North India when winter nears, it could play a role in the upcoming contest as well.
"If the pillars of the old stands can’t take the weight of the fans, the floodlights at the stadium can also be a concern if bad light affects the game," the report states
Bad light played a huge role in the last Test hosted in Kanpur. With the clash between India and New Zealand being held in November, right when winter started, the early fading light helped the visitors clinch a draw with one wicket remaining. One official has put down the issue due to pollution, but the fact of the matter is that the floodlight issue has yet to be addressed over the last couple of years.
The second Test between India and Bangladesh is scheduled to begin on Friday, September 27 in Kanpur. The Men in Blue have a 1-0 lead courtesy of their 280-run win in Chennai last week.