Football is in bad shape, city needs good ground: Bombay high court

The lack of Indian presence in the Fifa World Cup 2010 pinches every football lover in India. Even the judges to the Bombay high court want to see the quality of sports improve in the country. Therefore, on Wednesday, the court seconded Mumbai’s need for a “good” football ground.

Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Oval-Cooperage Resident’s Association (OCRA), a division bench of justice FI Rebello and justice RV More observed: “See the fate of football in this country. India is not even playing the World Cup. It is a tragedy.”

The PIL, filed by former municipal commissioner Jamshed Kanga and seven others, has challenged an order by passed former chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde on July 9, 2003, which allowed the renovation cum redevelopment of the Cooperage ground in South Mumbai. The ground has been given a heritage status.

The court, while adjourning the hearing of PIL for two weeks, also compared the ‘state-of-the-art’ condition of Brabourne stadium with the Cooperage ground. “The city requires a good football stadium to encourage youngsters [to play the game],” remarked justice Rebello.

The Western India Football Association (WIFA) had obtained permission from the government to construct a football stadium, clubhouse, luxury restaurant and a residential hotel on the Cooperage ground.

The petitioners had moved the high court in 2006, challenging the plan of WIFA and sought stay on the CM’s order. “There is no justification relied upon by WIFA to construct a football stadium on a scale contemplated by them for thousands of spectators in midst of a residential area. General norms to be considered for such a construction are traffic, security and crowd management, sanitary facilities etc. The area of Cooperage is in heart of the city and lacks such facilities,” said the PIL.

On Wednesday, senior counsel Darius Khambata and advocate Cherag Balsara representing WIFA argued that the BMC had amended the MRTP Act in 1977 to specially allow the development of Cooperage football stadium. It has to be redeveloped so that the city gets a decent football stadium.

The petition also said if the construction is allowed, the ground would not be accessible to general public. “As per the earlier directives of the high court, one of the gates of the ground has been opened for public access,” said additional government pleader Niranjan Pandit.

Also an affidavit by the then deputy director of town planning department Sanjay Kurvey in April 2007, said the permission was granted in ‘larger public interest’.

WIFA was granted the lease in 1969, which was extended for 30 more years in 2003.