Denied Water Bottles, Cricket Lovers Struggle to Beat the Heat

Hyderabad: An employee of a research institute in Tarnaka, who, along with his wife and children, was at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium (RGICS), to watch Friday’s match, was stopped at gate no 5, after the security noticed water bottles in their bags.

A group of girls was made to drop their sunscreen and moisturizers at the entrance. A techie from Tolichowki was stopped for carrying his laptop.

In the first instance, the children had to leave the venue disappointed, while the girls had to leave their articles.

This is not just the story of a few cricket lovers treated in such a manner. Many felt let down due to the tough restrictions imposed by the police and organisers on carrying personal belongings inside.

The hot sun only added to their woes, forcing some to leave the stadium without being able to watch the match and some dropping their belongings at the entrance and in nearby shops.

The fans were in utter shock when asked to leave water bottles and even other non-harmful belongings at the entrance, leaving them with no option but depend on supplies inside the stadium.

The researcher, who wished not to be named, told Deccan Chronicle “We had no option but to go back home. We were told water is supplied inside the stadium but we were unsure of its quality and hygienic standards. We did not want to risk our child’s health,” he said.

Another cricket lover Eshwar Kumar G, who was inside the stadium during the match, said that water was supplied at exorbitant rates. Several youngsters rubbished the restrictions wondering about the possible harm such articles could cause even if the restrictions were for security reasons.

“The point is that things sold inside can also be misused. This clearly indicates that the restrictions are to allow the vendors to make money,” they said.

A 300 ml water bottle, which costs Rs 20, is sold at almost double the price and there is nobody to check on them. The security and police personnel were busy with their ‘own work’ but did not monitor the movements of vendors, many enthusiasts said.

Meanwhile, the police and the organisers said that they have prohibited water bottles and other items as a precautionary measure. The organisers clarified that they had supplied drinking water free of cost during the IPL matches and were doing so even now. Rachakonda CP D.S. Chauhan also said that packaged water is supplied free of cost to all ticket holders.