Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla Ground Now a COVID-19 Centre for Migrants

(Photo: PTI)

As India continues to battle the deadly coronavirus pandemic, Delhi's iconic Feroz Shah Kotla ground has been converted into a COVID-19 centre to house migrants.

The stadium premises was used to house and test migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh before being sent back to their home states, according to a report in Hindustan Times.

Quoting Vijay Bhushan, a retired Delhi cricketer who played first-class from 1959 to 1973, the report claimed that the stadium was not even used during the India-Pakistan partition for housing any migrants.

“We have been told that there could be more labour that will (be) housed here in the coming days,” the publication reported DDCA joint secretary Rajan Manchanda as saying.

In March, the DDCA had suspended all activity at the stadium. As COVID-19 continues to ravage across the country, all cricketing action in India has been suspended indefinitely.

The ground had housed about 2000-2500 migrants on Tuesday and was sanitised after the last batch was dispatched.

“We were given a notice of 15 minutes by the Delhi government and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority the day before. They brought in beds, everything. They were being brought in twice a day,” the report said.

The association, however, kept the dressing rooms and grounds out of bounds, giving the migrants the area around the nets.

“On the first day, we got 10 buses, carrying 500 people in the morning. Again, 10 more came in the evening, returning with the first one. Our entire staff was put on duty – electricians, plumbers etc.”

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)