Wankhede Stadium to be quarantine centre

Wankhede Stadium

MUMBAI: Bogged down by the wave of Covid-19 outbreak, the Mumbai civic administration plans to convert some of the facilities of the famed Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for Coronavirus patients, officials said here.

The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants to create a massive quarantine facility, on the lines of the National Sports Club of India, Mahalakshmi. For this it has written to the Mumbai Cricket Association seeking the use of the Wankhede Stadium complex for the Emergency Services staff of BMC A Ward and the asymptomatic patients. The communication has been initiated by BMC Assistant Municipal Commissioner Chanda Jadhav, who heads the A Ward for the stadium premises on Marine Drive.

The Wankhende Stadium complex comprises the main stadium, the BCCI office, MCA office, MCA lounge and the Garware Club House. The MCA has decided to extend support to the BMC endeavours to control the spread of Covid-19.

With the Covid-19 scourge continuing, the BMC has acquired nearly 200 properties like hotels, marriage halls, exhibition centres, banquet halls, schools, colleges, club facilities, etc, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. The Wankhede Stadium has hosted several prestigious national and international matches including the 2011 Cricket World Cup finals between India – Sri Lanka.