40-ft-tall Hockey player’s statue falls to ground in Odisha’s Rourkela, probe ordered

The 40-foot-tall statue of a Hockey player installed near the Rourkela airport five months ago during the time of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup collapsed on the ground on Sunday, leaving the Rourkela Municipal Corporation in a tight spot.

According to a source, the giant statue dedicated to the Hockey players was installed in January first week of this year ahead of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023. Since a small park with fountains was developed near the statue, it became a favourite spot for local residents to spend their leisure time. 

However, when the statue fell to the ground, there was none in the park or else the picture would have now been a different one. 
The local residents attributed the collapse of the statue to low-quality work and the use of substandard materials. 

“The statue was erected overnight. Due to low-quality work and use of substandard materials, the statute fell to the ground at a time when not even a branch was found to have been broken in the thunderstorm,” said a city resident. 

“Had there been some people nearby, the situation would have been different,” said another resident. 

Meanwhile, the statue has been wrapped up. 

In this regard, when contacted Rourkela Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dr Subhankar Mohapatra over his mobile phone, he said a committee has already been formed to probe why the statute collapsed. 

After the incident, city dwellers have started raising doubts about the longevity of other structures installed in the city.