Iconic Eden Gardens spared from cyclone Amphan's wrath; No major damages noticed

Earlier this week, parts of Odisha, West Bengal and Bangladesh faced massive damages due to the cyclone named Amphan. The natural disaster was one of the worst which these places have experienced in the past few decades. One of the most affected places due to the cyclone was Kolkata. The morning of 21st May saw devastations caused all across the city.

Many roads were blocked due to trees collapsing and water being logged. The entire city and suburban areas near it experienced a power cut and communication was also lost. However, the massive destruction didn’t have a huge impact on the iconic stadium of Eden Gardens in the city.

The President of Cricket Associaton of Bengal Avishek Dalmiya said that there have been damages to the stadium but those are quite minor compared to what has happened across the city. The pitch and the outfield though stayed unaffected even after the storm reached its peak during the night of 20th May.

The structural engineer will inspect the venue and submit a detailed report: CAB President

“Looking at the disaster that has taken place, it’s natural for some damage to have occurred. But, prima facie, we don’t think there’s any major damage to the Eden. That said we cannot take any chances,” Dalmiya said as quoted by First Post. “We will consult our structural engineer to look into the issues. If needed, we will implement whatever suggestion we get from the structural engineer,” he added.

Talking about the areas which need to be repaired, the CAB president noted the minor restoration which has to be done to the stadium.

“The manual scoreboard (at D block) has to be looked into. Besides, few fiber sheets above blocks G and H also need minor repairs, while glass panes of two of the corporate boxes need to be replaced. The structural engineer will inspect the venue and submit a detailed report. The majority of the issues should be sorted very shortly,” the CAB president added.

The Eden Gardens stadium is one of the oldest cricket grounds in the country. The stadium which is built on the land owned by the Indian Army has hosted several iconic matches. The ground has hosted the finals of the Cricket World Cup 1987 and the T20 World Cup 2016. Last year, the historic ground also played host to the first day-night Test match in India.