Raiganj, Aug. 16: Prasanta Roy, a resident of Ukilpara here, had a trying time waiting in the sweaty, crowded outdoor ward of the district hospital today.

The ailing man could not leave the cramped space for the open air, as he, like other patients, found the blaring announcements from loudspeakers installed for the local mela, intolerable.

“The announcements were being made without any break. I sat outside the ward waiting for my turn to come, but since the announcements were being made in full volume, I had to go inside,” Roy said.

The mela is being held adjacent to the stadium on ground belonging to the district sports association.

Besides being held in a “silence zone”— where no loudspeakers can be used within 100 metres — the fair has also choked the road leading to the hospital.

Not only the hospital authorities, but local sportspersons, too, are angry that fairs are being held regularly on the stadium ground. “We use the ground to warm up before the matches and the district sports association, instead of looking at our problems, is renting out the ground,” said Panku Dey, the secretary of a football club.

Hospital superintendent Sourendra Nath Guchhait said the mela was flouting the norms of the “silence zone”. “We are having some problems, but this is a decision that has been taken by the higher authorities, I cannot comment on it,” Guchhait said.

District sports association secretary Subhasis Chanda said it was improper to have fairs on the ground. “The decision to rent out the space has been taken by the stadium committee. Though I am a member of the panel, I was not present at any of the meetings where the decision to let out the ground was taken,” Chanda said.

Stadium committee member and state civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee said the decision to rent out the space was taken keeping in mind the “development of sports and games” in the district.

“The rental will go towards developing the infrastructure of the stadium. People who come to the mela will get to see the stadium and in turn get attracted towards taking up sports activities,” Mukherjee explained.

He said the district administration has been asked to keep a lookout to prevent harassment of hospital patients.

Irrespective of the debate, the mela continues, prompting patients to pray for an end to loudspeaker announcements and traffic congestions.