Chinnaswamy revamp nears completion

After a lengthy break, the Chinnaswamy Stadium will soon be ready to host matches again, with the work on the drainage system nearing completion.

The Karnataka State Cricket Association’s decision to install the SubAir Systems – a subsurface aeration and vacuum-powered drainage system -- had stopped all cricketing activities at the stadium.

The work on the technology, owned the US-based company SubAir, began in June. KSCA secretary Brijesh Patel said the installation of the system will be complete in a couple of days’ time.

“The technical officers of SubAir are here at the KSCA from the past ten days and the installation process of the machine is almost over. In a couple of days, the officers will begin to train the KSCA staff on how to operate the technology,” said Patel.

The SubAir Systems helps in quicker removal of water when compared to other technologies. “The machine has sensors and it will automatically get switched on when it rains. The machine will be connected to the drainage system and it separates the air from the water so that the air flows to the SubAir vault while the water drains to the outlet,” KSCA co-curator Prashanth Rao explained.

Prashanth added that the machine can also be switched on from the mobile phones of the operators at the stadiums. 

The KSCA has also revamped the ground, to form a sand-based outfield in place of the soil-based one. Patel said the newly laid outfield will be tested next month.

“The pitch hasn’t been disturbed and we only worked on the outfield. We are ready to test the new outfield with a game in the third week of December,” he said.

Prashanth said work on the outfield has progressed well. “Grass has come up nicely in three-fourths of the outfield. Another quarter will be covered with grass in three to four days. The outfield has a sub-surface network of perforated pipes connected to the SubAir Systems and it will be easier for us to dry the ground when it rains,” he said.

Speaking on the challenges faced during the work process, Prashanth said: “The monsoon itself was a big test. The removal of old soil was an arduous task. Everything was done in a scientific manner. The sand and grass had to be tested at the laboratory. We stuck to our plans and it has provided good results.”
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