Construction of Gautam Buddha Cricket Stadium halted amidst COVID-19 fear

22 March, Bharatpur : The Dhurmus-Suntali Foundation has decided to halt the ongoing construction of the Gautam Buddha International Cricket Stadium based at Rampur, Chitwan, amidst the growing fear of an outbreak of the coronavirus which has already spread globally.

The Foundation shared this information through a press statement yesterday. The works have been suspended until the situation returns normal. Though the Foundation had been giving continuity to the construction works by taking preventive measures, it has decided to stop it temporarily following the government advice not to assemble more than 25 people at once in view of the global pandemic of the virus, it is said. Over 200 workers have been hired for the project. “People’s health is top priority. So, construction of the stadium has halted until the situation returns normal,” said, Chairperson of the Foundation Sitaram Kattel asking them to care for their health.

The project was signed between Bharatpur Metropolitan City and the Foundation on January 30 early this year. Construction under the preliminary phase like compounding, site clearance, construction of site office, godown, and employees’ quarters have completed in four months ago, said Kattel. The construction works as per its master plan had begun around four and half months ago. Eighty percent works of the cricket ground construction and 90 percent works of digging a foundation for a parapet have completed so far.