Security tightened in Eden

Security tightened in Eden
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Kolkata, March 8: Keeping in mind crowd disturbances during international cricket matches in the past, security arrangements have been beefed up at the Eden Gardens, the venue for the second Test between India and Australia beginning from March 11.

To preempt any further trouble, the authorities have decided to increase the number of security personnel in and around the stadium on all the playing days.

City police sources said a control room with closed circuit TV sets would be set up in the stadium premises to monitor the activities of spectators. Special gates with metal detectors would also be installed.

Policemen with hand-held metal detectors would be positioned at the gates to frisk the spectators.

Cricket Association of Bengal president Jagmohan Dalmiya, who held a series of meetings with state Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee and senior police officers on various security aspects, has announced a blanket ban on carrying water bottles into the stadium.

The Asian Test Championship match between India and Pakistan in 1999 had to be completed in front of empty galleries after police cleared the stands following incidents of bottle-throwing by a section of the crowd.

Earlier, the World Cup semi-final match between India and Sri Lanka in 1996 could not be completed and the match was awarded to the visitors after similar indecent crowd behavior.

The authorities have also cut down the number of seats in the stadium by 550 to ensure more lee way for the policemen to maneuver in the event of a crisis.

To ensure better amenities for the cricket buffs, the number of taps has also been increased. There was widespread complaint of water scarcity from the spectators during the Indo-Pak clash two years back, which is believed to have precipitated matters.