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Berhampur: In a bid to conduct national level cricket tournaments in Berhampur stadium, Odisha government has decided to renovate the ground and install a water reservoir with sprinkling system.
Sports and Youth Service department of the state government has sanctioned about Rs 56 lakh for the project.
While around Rs 20 lakh would be spent for renovation of the playground, Rs 36 lakh is meant for of a four lakh litre capacity underground reservoir, official sources said on Tuesday.
The project also includes facilities like sprinkler irrigation system, which is now available in various major stadia in the country.
"The projects are expected to be completed in the next two months. With these facilities, we can conduct national cricket events in the stadium," said president of Ganjam district cricket association (GDCA) R C Patra.
"Under the playground renovation project, new soil would be added with chemical treatment. The grass will be planted in the ground like any other major grounds in the country," he said.
Greenery of the ground would be maintained all over the year through sprinkler system, he added.
Even though the Ranji Trophy cricket matches were conducted in nineties in the stadium here, the same ground was declared unfit to conduct Odisha Premier League (OPL) cricket match, conducted by the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) last year. The technical committee of OCA has suggested renovation of the playground with maintaining of its greenery.
Presently there is no sparkling in the ground due to non-availability of the water. "The water supply department only supplies water to the sports hostel," said in-charge superintendent of the sport hostel Dharma Rao.
While around 38 inmates were in the sports hostel, there are nine girls in the Centre of Excellence in weightlifting. Apart form weightlifting for girls, the hostel has facilities to train the inmates in volley ball, Basket Ball and weightlifting.
