CWG aerostat to go under hammer; base price Rs 8 cr

The aerostat is not the only Games purchase that is now proving to be a burden for the OC. The kitchen equipment,which the OC purchased for Rs 16 crore from PKL London,is still lying at the Games Village. The OC had put it up for sale from October 27 till November 8 for Rs 6.25 crore,but no bidder came forward.

The OC also sought permission from the government to hand over the equipment to the Army free of cost,but the Sports Ministry is yet to respond.

With the temporary kitchen having being dismantled,the equipment is now lying in the open.

“A few of the pieces have been packed in containers,while others have just been wrapped in polythene cover,” said a senior official.

As for the aerostat,the last date for receiving bids is February 18. The operational cost for the aerostat also costs a lot. “Helium,which is required to keep the Aerostat afloat,comes for around Rs 75 lakh per filling,” added the official.

The aerostat comprises two components — the ‘Torus’ and the ‘Sausage’ — both of which have to be inflated to achieve buoyancy. The Torus,an elliptical tube,is 12 metres in diameter,80 metres long and 40 metres wide. It has an internal volume of 18,000 cubic metres and weighs 5,000 kg (excluding cables and rigging).

The Sausage is cylindrical,36 m long,with a diameter of 12 m and an internal volume of 3,600 cubic m,and weighs approximately 1,200 kg (excluding rigging,cables,etc.). Currently it is lying packed in the basement of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.