World Cup final venue in Mumbai fails fire inspection

India's reputation as a capable host of major events took another blow on Friday after Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, venue for the World Cup final on April 2, was criticised by the fire brigade for not meeting safety standards.                                           

With the showpiece event kicking off on Saturday, the comments will come as an embarrassment for organisers the International Cricket Council (ICC), who said earlier this week that all requirements had already been met.                                           

"We will soon write a letter to the MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association) stating there is a need to comply with fire safety norms at the stadium," Mumbai chief fire officer Uday Tatkare was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India on Friday.

"Once they abide by the terms we would again conduct an inspection. The team has found that the newly renovated stadium has many loopholes in its fire safety mechanism. The stadium must be in compliance with the fire safety conditions," Tatkare said.                                           

Tatkare was on leave for the weekend and did not receive calls when Reuters tried to contact him on the phone. No other Mumbai fire brigade officials were ready to elaborate. 

The stadium also failed an inspection by the ICC in December but earlier this week was given the go-ahead for its three World Cup matches starting on March 13.                                           

"Among the mandatory fire apparatus are ... water hydrants, internal riser system for the stands, no-smoking indicators, fire alarms and extinguishers have to be installed," a Mumbai fire officer told PTI on condition of anonymity.                                           

"There are some lapses which they need to look into." 

COMFORTABLY MEET                                           

The MCA, responsible for the stadium, was confident it could comfortably meet the fire brigade's demands.

"The fire brigade officials had come for a visit few days back and they had suggested a few safety norms after their visit," Association secretary Lalchand Rajput told Reuters on Friday.

"We are working on those and we will be ready. There is absolutely no worry. There has been no formal letter from the fire department yet."                                           

The ICC's tournament director Ratnakar Shetty, also the chief administrative officer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said the requirements had already been met.  

"The fire officials had visited and given some advice on what is to be done... particularly with respect to the basement and the North Stand," Shetty said from Dhaka.                                           

"That work has been completed by the MCA and we are awaiting an official letter."                                                                                   

ONGOING WORK                                           

A lot of work was still going on at the Wankhede Stadium, which overlooks the Arabian Sea, a Reuters photographer said on Friday.                                           

"Barriers are being welded together underneath the stands. A lot of workmen are still doing a lot of paving ... welding one of the crowd control barriers," Vivek Prakash said.                                           

"Walking up the stairs, I saw a hose reel with water spouting out. There is a lot of security around. The outfield is not all grass. There are patches of no grass. "                                          

"I did not notice any smoke detectors. Stands are in good condition, though dusty. A lot of electric work is still going on."                                           

The World Cup starts in Dhaka on Saturday with a match between co-hosts Bangladesh and India.                                           

An ICC spokesman declined to comment.                                           

Friday's warning will again cast doubts on India's capability as a host of major events after last year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi ended up being a public relations shambles despite a late scramble by the government.                                           

India had intended to showcase its growing financial might through the $6 billion Games in October but organisational blunders in the lead-up to the event turned it into an embarrassment. 

There were more red faces in India last month when the ICC shifted the high profile India v England World Cup match out of Kolkata's Eden Gardens due to a delay in construction work.