ICC World Cup 2011: Mumbai Fire Brigade Pulls Up Wankhede

Mumbai cricket fans were in for a shock on the eve of the opening encounter between India and Bangladesh at Mirpur in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The Mumbai Fire Department pulled up the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for flouting fire safety norms at the Wankhede.

This follows the recent shifting of the India-England tie at India’s premier stadium, Eden Gardens to Chinnaswamy, Bangalore because of a delay in construction work.

Wankhede stadium had earlier failed an inspection by the ICC but were given the go-ahead after picking up the slack.

The harsh spotlight on India’s sporting organizational capabilities continues. The public relations disaster at the 2010 Commonwealth Games has not been forgotten. The Games organizers pulled through at the last-minute but not before Delhi state authorities took a hand to prevent further embarrassment.

The Wankhede picture is not all bad.

The matches will proceed as scheduled. The fire department has cleared the ties with a conditional occupation certificate (OC).

The Mumbai fire brigade will station water tankers and fire tenders at the stadium during the encounters. The organizers will be charged for these services.

The irregularities discovered include missing fire safety apparatus, fire safety exits and basement ventilations.

The Wankhede will be hosting international matches after a gap of three years following shutdown for renovations in 2008.

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Quote of the day: 
Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. – Martin Luther King Jr.

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