Bids invited for international level stadium with capacity to seat 30k in Dwarka

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has invited bids to develop an international-level cricket and football stadium that can seat 30,000 spectators in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has invited bids to develop an international-level cricket and football stadium that can seat 30,000 spectators in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka.

The Arun Jaitley Stadium, formerly known as the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, is the only international cricket stadium in Delhi at present. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times) (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

The integrated multi-sports facility will be built at a cost of ₹350-crore on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis -- a first for DDA -- and will be spread over 54 acres.

According to the tender, the private concessionaire will be responsible for constructing the facility, including preparing the master plan of the area, and operating it. The concessionaire will be allowed commercial development on 35% of the area to recover the cost of the project.

According to the tender document, the facility will have an outdoor stadium with a seating capacity for at least 30,000 spectators for cricket and football, and an indoor stadium with space for 2,000 spectators. It will also have badminton and squash courts, a table tennis facility, a multi-purpose training centre, swimming pools, a fitness centre, etc. The area will also have a clubhouse for at least 3,000 members.

Currently, Feroz Shah Kotla stadium (now called Arun Jaitley stadium) is the only stadium in Delhi that is used to host international cricket matches.

PK Soni, the media manager of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), said, “While a new cricket stadium is needed in Delhi, a cricket and football stadium will not be successful. I don’t advocate it, as the cricket pitch, which is at the centre of the field, will get damaged during football matches.”

He also said that the seating capacity should be at least 60,000-65,000. “Here (at Feroz Shah Kotla) there is a seating capacity for around 40,000 people. But it is not enough during international matches. Now that there is a plan to construct another cricket stadium, the capacity should be increased to at least 65,000 and above. The DDA should rope in people associated with cricket while planning the facility,” Soni said.

The sports facility, located at Dwarka’s sector 19B, has been in the planning stages for several years now. DDA also plans to construct a sports facility at Narela, another sub-city planned by it.

DDA officials said that the entire cost of the project will be recovered from the sale of commercial property which will be developed on the site. According to the tender, the commercial property will be developed on 35% of the area while the sports facility will come up on the remaining 65% area.

A senior DDA official said the sports facility will be completed within three years from the date of award of work.

Currently, the DDA has 15 sports complexes, including Siri Fort, Commonwealth Games village, two golf courses at Bhalswa and near Qutub enclave, and three mini-sports stadiums in various parts of the city. The land-owning agency has also developed 21 open gyms in green areas.

Dwarka is one of the three planned sub-cities or urban extensions (in addition to Rohini and Narela) developed by DDA.

Rejimon CK, member and founder of Dwarka Forum (an association of Dwarka RWAs), said that a new sports facility has been the resident’s long-pending demand. “We have just one sports complex in Sector 11, which is running beyond capacity. There has been an inordinate delay in developing this centre, which was proposed when the sub-city was planned. Their main idea is not to provide sports facilities to people and aspiring sportspersons but to monetise the land. There is no need to develop the facility on a PPP basis.”