Demolish unauthorized stands at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium: Supreme Court

The MA Chidambaram Stadium will have to conform to regulations and public safety

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS)

The Supreme Court said on Tuesday that the three stands (I,J,K) of the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will not be used for seating spectators during cricket matches as they do not conform to regulations and public safety and their unauthorized parts need to be demolished.

“Your starting point was wrong. You are not an average citizen constructing one room or so, you are TNCA (Tamil Nadu Cricket Association). Everything smells and everything stinks,” a bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice R.V. Ramana told the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association which owns the stadium, formerly called Chepauk Stadium.

It asked the TNCA to submit to the Chennai Municipal Corporation (CMC) its plan for the demolition of the unauthorized structure.

Directing that the requirements of setbacks must be complied with by carrying out necessary demolitions, the court said that once it is done, the TNCA would inform the CMC and seek inspection.

Asking the TNCA to take necessary steps to remove unauthorized construction to meet the requirements of public safety, the court said, “If deficiencies are found to be removed, then CMC will act accordingly.”

The court remained unimpressed when senior counsel Amit Sibal appearing for TNCA urged the court to allow them to use the three stands as in past 21 matches held in the stadium, spectators were seated in them.

Telling Sibal that everything smells and stinks, the court asked, “how inspection report cleared stand 'I' and 'J'?”

The prospects of M.A. Chidambaram Stadium holding matches appeared to be dim as court did not say anything on Sibal's plea that they may be allowed to hold matches in the stadium using six other approved stands. He told the court that CMC was not permitting that.