Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens stadium is all set to join the fight against Coronavirus pandemic, as India’s second-largest cricket stadium will be converted into the COVID-19 quarantine facility for Kolkata Police personnel who contracted the fast-spreading virus on duty.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) allowed five blocks of the Eden Gardens stadium to be used as quarantine centres with immediate effect for the police personnel after the Kolkata Police requested the CAB to make use of under galleries for makeshift quarantine facility on an urgent basis.
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The Bengal state body has given green signal for the same after an emergent meeting held at the Kolkata Police Headquarters in Lalbazar with CAB senior officials including CAB president Avishek Dalmiya and Honorary Secretary Snehasish Ganguly on Friday (July 10) followed by a joint inspection at the Eden Gardens following a sharp rise of Coronavirus cases in West Bengal.
In a letter to CAB President, the Kolkata Police Commissioner’s office wrote: “Kolkata Police is in urgent need of a large accommodation for setting up makeshift quarantine centres for Kolkata Police personnel with immediate effect. It is requested that the space under the gallery of blocks E, F, G, H, and J with the provision of kitchens inside Eden Gardens stadium may kindly be provided on a temporary basis free of cost to Kolkata Police for the said purpose.”
Meanwhile, CAB confirmed the same in a statement: “It has been decided that under galleries of E, F, G and H blocks would be used to set up such facilities. In case, more space is required, then J block might also be used. Such areas would be thoroughly segregated as a safety measure.”
The statement further reads: “Since the administrative functioning majorly happens at Club House, adjacent blocks (B, C, D, K, and L) would not be used for it, allowing the CAB to use them for conducting its activities and/or for its administrative work.”
On the other hand, Mr. Dalmiya said; “It is our duty to help and support the administration in this hour of crisis. The quarantine facility would be used for police personnel who are COVID warriors. The under galleries that would be used at E, F, G, H, and J Blocks would be properly segregated and secured from the balance areas. The arrangement agreed between Kolkata Police and CAB would ensure that areas used for cricket and administrative Activities remain unaffected.”
Noteworthy, the Kolkata Police has so far reported nearly 550 positive cases of Coronavirus while 411 have already recovered with 2 have surrendered to the deadly virus.
(With PTI Inputs)
