Tau Devi Lal Stadium wall collapse: GMDA orders structural audit

GMDA will demolish the pavilion’s remaining projections and restrict movement near the structure after the Sunday collapse left no one injured.

A day after a portion of the projection wall of the cricket pavilion at the Tau Devi Lal stadium in Sector 38 collapsed, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on Monday said it will conduct a third-party structural audit of the entire sports complex to identify weak spots and take corrective measures. GMDA officials said directions for appointing the agency will be issued by the higher authorities, but did not specify a timeline for the audit.

The cricket pavilion is over two decades old. GMDA also plans a ₹634-crore upgrade covering the stadium’s existing sports infrastructure. (HT)

As an immediate measure, the authority has decided to demolish the entire projection wall of the cricket pavilion to prevent a similar incident. Officials, however, said no timeline has been finalised for the demolition. Around 50 feet of the projection wall collapsed on Sunday morning, but no one was injured, officials said.

The Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Sector 38 is one of the largest government-owned sports facilities in Gurugram. It was developed by Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran and later handed over to GMDA after its formation. The cricket pavilion where the incident occurred was constructed more than two decades ago and is part of the complex, which also has a synthetic athletic track and other sports facilities, including a hostel.

“It has been decided to conduct a structural audit of the entire campus, including the cricket pavilion, athletics stadium and sports hostel. The recommendations made in the audit will be implemented to ensure the campus is safe. As a temporary measure, we have decided to remove the projections on the entire cricket pavilion to avoid any repeat of the incident,” said a senior GMDA official.

The official added that the movement of sportspersons inside and near the cricket pavilion has also been restricted.

GMDA officials also said they are in the process of finalising the tender for upgrading the Tau Devi Lal stadium, with the project estimated to cost ₹634 crore. The estimated cost will be finalised after approval from the competent authority, officials said. “The cricket stadium and other facilities will be upgraded. During the overhaul, we will also strengthen and retrofit existing pavilions to ensure these are safe to use in coming years,” he said.

The GMDA has prepared and estimated cost of ₹634 crore for upgradation of the project, which will be finalised after approval from the competent authority, said officials.

When asked about the possible reason for the collapse, the GMDA official said the structure was more than two decades old and recent rain had also weakened it.

“The debris has been removed, and now we are going to remove unsafe portions. Fortunately on Sunday morning, none of the sportspersons were standing near the pavilion or under it where the incident happened,” the authority official said.