KOCHI: A ‘crack’ in the stands. And the concrete structure shaking while the Kerala Blasters fans are celebrating. The video depicting as much at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi has caused concern in the minds of thousands of spectators who religiously attend the team's 'home' matches.
The video shot on smartphone while the Blasters fans are doing a Poznan celebration, in which they turn their back to the pitch and jump up and down in unison, some time during the ISL season has been heavily circulated on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter as well as through WhatsApp.
The part of the stadium in question is the third tier in the East Stand of the 39,000-seater stadium directly above the area of the gallery where Blasters’ famed fan club ‘Manjappada’ members assemble in numbers to cheer their players.While some online websites termed it a “disaster in the waiting”, fans on the internet termed it as “scary”, “shocking”, “dangerous” and “pathetic”. “I have experienced this at the stadium. It's shaking every time. Imagine the situation when Blasters score a goal or win a match,” said one Blasters supporter.
The Kaloor stadium’s capacity was reduced to 29,000, almost half the previous capacity, for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, as the world football body deemed the design of the stadium does not allow its evacuation within eight minutes in case of an emergency if matches are held at a higher capacity. And Javier Ceppi, the U-17 World Cup tournament director, was quick to react to the shocking video. “Some stadiums around the world are designed to shake,” said Ceppi. Indeed, there are videos on YouTube showing stadiums of German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt and Argentina’s Boca Juniors literally shaking during matches.
“But this seems like a crack on top tier and not an expansion joint, which is serious. Regardless, we always said top tier should not be used,” Ceppi added.Abhilash Joy, a Kochi-based structural engineer, said the stadium has been designed to absorb the shock.“The stands of the Kochi stadium are constructed from precast concrete structures, in a similar manner like that of the Nehru Stadium in Chennai. These structures are expected to flex with the movement of fans. So, I do not think there is a need for a panic,” he said.
Another structural engineer was also of the same opinion. “The stands can withstand the shaking as the main structure will not be affected. As the stadium was constructed over a swamp, it has good cushioning to withstand such vibrations,” he said.However, he was of the opinion that the safety of the people cannot be left to chance.“The stadium is over 20 years old now and it is a place where a large number of people gather. So, it is necessary that an in-depth evaluation is conducted at the earliest and corrective measures taken,” said Abhilash. C N Mohanan, chairman of GCDA that owns the stadium, said he wasn’t aware of a safety concern, but will look into the matter and take necessary action. The stadium was constructed in 1996 and has hosted major international football and cricket matches over the past two decades.