India vs. New Zealand Test: Frustration Grows Among Fans Over Parking and Water Shortages at MCA’s Gahunje Stadium in Pune
Reported by Varad Bhatkhande
Gahunje, 25th October 2024: Cricket enthusiasts are having to go the extra mile—quite literally—to reach the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Gahunje from the parking lots. Typically, this walk is around 1 km, but some fans have reported walking nearly 3 km to watch the match.
As this is the second Test of the India vs. New Zealand three-match series, the heat from the sun is making the situation even more challenging for fans, especially since Test matches are played entirely during the daytime. Additionally, fans visiting the stadium have complained about the availability of food and water.
According to fans visiting the stadium, the parking provided by the MCA Stadium administration is relatively close. However, some locals have set up private parking lots in nearby plots farther from the stadium. As fans access the stadium via the road, they often encounter these private parking lots before reaching the official one. Locals stand by with signs and supplies, misleading spectators into thinking their parking is the official one, claiming there is no parking available ahead. Those unfamiliar with the MCA Stadium can easily fall for this and end up having to “go the extra mile.”
A fan who attended the India vs. New Zealand Test match yesterday, on Day 1, said, “This time, we saw many parking lots. The MCA Stadium is always notorious for bad services and poor management. Since I’ve been to this stadium before, I knew the official parking would be ahead and not ‘full’ as some people were claiming yesterday. Someone unfamiliar with the stadium would fall into their trap.”
Attempts were made to inquire about the parking situation by contacting Deputy Commissioner of Police Bapu Bangar, who is in charge of the Traffic Branch of the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerate, but he was unavailable for comment.
Apart from the parking confusion and chaos, it was also reported yesterday that the basic necessity of water was not provided in the stadium for spectators. Water is essential, especially considering that a Test match lasts from 9 AM to 5 PM, forcing fans to watch in blistering heat. Although the Secretary of the MCA, Kamlesh Pisal, apologized for the incident and promised that it would not happen for the remainder of the match, fans who pay good money for tickets to watch their favorite sport have expressed disappointment at having to endure such conditions.
Complaints regarding the quality of food and availability have also been made by fans. The food is overpriced and takes a long time to be served. One fan who went to the stadium sarcastically remarked that the food, which is supposed to be hot, is served cold, while the food that is supposed to be cold is served hot at Gahunje’s MCA Stadium. Additionally, following yesterday’s water shortage fiasco, some food vendors began selling water bottles at astronomically high rates, as necessity is the mother of “investment.”
