Staff Reporter
YUPIA, 3 Nov: Arunachal’s largest multipurpose sports stadium, with a seating capacity of 15,000 people, here in Papum Pare district is finally on the verge of completion.
The project, sanctioned in 2014, was supposed to be completed by 2018, but due to various reasons, including the Covid pandemic, work had been stalled. However, the majority of the work has been completed and only the construction of the parking lot remains.
The total cost of the project is Rs 59.48 crore.
The urban development (UD) department, which is the construction agency of the stadium, is now waiting for the government to sanction the revised estimate submitted for completion of work.
“Apart from the parking lot, some more corrections have to be made before handing over the stadium to the sports department. We have submitted a revised estimate and the state government is seriously considering our proposal,” said UD Deputy Director Gyamar Tachung.
He informed that once the work is completed, a team of officials from the chief engineer’s (CE) office will carry out a final inspection. “Only if the CE office is satisfied, the stadium will be handed over to the sports department,” said Tachung.
The stadium will also have facilities such as a media room, a 16-room dormitory, a gymkhana, etc. “It will be an international standard stadium with 800-metre track and field, football ground, javelin, etc. Except for cricket, all other sporting events can be conducted in it,” added Tachung.
Urban Development CE T Darang said that if the government sanctions the revised estimate, the stadium can be completed within four to five months. “Only the parking issue remains to be resolved at the Yupia stadium. The state government is very cooperative and we are quite hopeful that the revised estimate will be sanctioned soon, so that work is completed at the earliest,” said Darang.
He further said that Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Naharlagun is also being constructed by the UD department and the work is about to be completed.
Sports Director Tadar Appa said that the department is waiting for the completion of the Yupia stadium. “This is the largest stadium of the state and will be a big asset for the sports department,” he said.
Regarding the delay in completing the stadiums in Aalo, Tezu and Chimpu, the director said that the state government is very worried about the slow progress and is making efforts to speed up the work.
