Noida plans sports complex on land set aside for dumpsite

Noida: Noida Authority has approved a Rs 145-crore sports complex spread over 26.6 acres in Sector 123, aiming to create a full-fledged facility for indoor and outdoor sports. The project, to be executed in two phases over the next two years, will include athletics tracks, football and tennis facilities, basketball and volleyball courts, a multipurpose indoor hall, and residential accommodation for coaches.

The site was earlier earmarked for a dumpsite, but residents’ protests in 2018 forced the Authority to redesign it as a sports complex.The project will include an international-standard athletics facility with an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)/World Athletics-certified synthetic athletics track, installation of high-end sports lighting suitable for national and international competitions, construction of sports infrastructure, landscaping, etc.According to a Noida official, the complex will feature a synthetic 400-m athletics track, football ground, tennis courts, volleyball courts, basketball facilities, long jump, high jump, discus/hammer throw, javelin runway, shot put, tennis court, volleyball court, basketball court, kids area, open gym, etc.Additional facilities will include a guard room, toilets, kiosks and parking facilities.It will feature high-mast floodlights, decorative landscaping elements, public announcement systems, fire-safety installations, air-conditioning systems, lifts, and supporting amenities required for hosting sporting events.

These facilities will be developed in the first phase on nearly 15 acres at a cost of over Rs 70.3 crore.In the second phase, indoor games facilities, a multipurpose hall, residential facilities for coaches, and other facilities will be developed on nearly 12 acres at a cost of around Rs 74.6 crore. The parking area will have a capacity of around 150 cars and a separate two-wheeler parking area will also be constructed.The selected agency will develop the sports complex along with all associated infrastructure, civil work, electrical installations, site development, utilities, landscaping, and supporting amenities required for a modern multi-sports facility.The Sector 123 plot the complex is set to come up on has been vacant since 2018. It was previously earmarked as a dumping ground, but stiff opposition from locals led to those plans being scrapped.

The landfill was relocated and a pit at the plot was covered up.Talking about the proposed landfill, Homes 121 resident Shobhit Kapoor said, “Noida succumbed to our demands and decided to develop a sports complex at this spot. They announced this two years ago but no significant development took place. We welcome Noida’s move to make it a sports complex as it will help local residents.”Residents of nearby sectors, including sectors 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, and villages like Garhi Chowkhandi, Sarrfabad, Parthala and Sorkha are set to benefit from this facility.Currently, Noida has a stadium in Sector 21A with a cricket ground, but the complex is overcrowded. Officials said the upcoming sports complex is expected to provide young athletes in the city with proper training space for the Olympics and other international sports events.