Mohali bears brunt of Test match

Mohali bears brunt of Test match

MUNISH DHIMAN  CHANDIGARH | 16th Mar 2013

The streets of Chandigarh have seen snarls during the Test. he India-Australia Test match may be of great importance for cricket enthusiasts who travel across the country to see Sachin, the 'God of Cricket' playing, but for the majority of residents of Mohali, Punjab, it is nothing but patience testing match. Samandeep Singh, owner of an eating joint in Phase 10 adjoining PCA stadium, said, "Not new though, but I believe most of the shop owners endure this problem. Our sale goes down by 60% as most of the customers prefer staying at home because of the barricaded roads. Even we waste a lot of our time while travelling, and without a pass, it becomes niggling." Toeing the same line, Namneet Kaur, a resident of phase 9 says, "We face a lot of problem while commuting when the cricket matches happen. De-touring is worst and causes a lot of inconvenience, especially during the exam days. Kids are not able to concentrate on their studies because of the high decibel noise that the spectators create." "I believe PCA has become more like an identity for us and I feel proud when matches happen here. If we can de-route because of tents raised for a function in our locality why can't we cooperate when an event of international stature happens at the stadium," feels Charanjit Singh who owns a chemist shop near the stadium. Excess of anything is bad, believes Charanjit, as he further adds, "We willingly cooperate for a one-day match and even T20s, but such prolonged five-day matches are definitely awful for business, residents and commuters." Echoing the same feelings Kuldeep Kaur, another neighboring resident says, "We are used to the commuting problem now but what really troubles us are the cricket enthusiasts who create ruckus. They keep littering and throwing leftovers in our garden facing the stadium wall. This is not acceptable, but at the end of the day, we are helpless, as we know nothing would change."It should be noted that residents and shopkeepers near the stadium are given vehicle passes for commuting with ease but practically, these passes never assure that 'ease'! http://www.sunday-guardian.com/sports/mohali-bears-brunt-of-test-match