Mr Dutt, welcome to Nehru Stadium

The leak originates from the clogged toilet attached to the empty office of the national chess federation (the federation itself is based in Kozhikode); the waste has seeped out into the corridor, made the walls damp and dripped back onto the floor. And adding to the cesspool is water from the leaking overhead pipes. Every morning, after a night of constant seepage, the office staff find it tough to walk through the pools collected just outside their door.

The water from this office isn’t just making the building weak but is also a serious threat to the records kept in other offices. Senior officials from the equestrian, gymnastics and boxing associations have informed the Sports Authority of India, which looks after the stadium, and the Volleyball federation of India has written a letter, but nothing has changed. Stadium in-charge Arun Bharadwaj says he has ‘‘received complaints from the federations’’ but overall ‘‘the stadium is perfectly maintained.’’ To those affected, that’s a cruel joke. Equestrian federation assistant secretary S S Sangwan talks about the embarrassment he has to face when the Army top brass visit his office. ‘‘The toilet stench is unbearable and at times it is impossible to sit in the office,’’ he says.

This is only the latest ignominy — remember the women hockey players carrying their own washing thanks to a water crisis? — to hit what should be the country’s showpiece sporting arena. Can Mr Dutt sweep clean with his new broom?