30 MINUTES | COMMONWEALTH GAMES
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30 Minutes: The changing face of Delhi for 2010 Games
Published on Sun, Nov 09, 2008 at 20:03, Updated on Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 02:06 in India section
Tags: Commonwealth Games, Delhi , New Delhi
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New Delhi: It's a city that has risen and fallen over and over again. For centuries, Delhi has been India's most politically significant city. And now the country's Capital is going through another transformation. It is seeing a quiet, yet a dramatic makeover ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
But questions like how much of that change will last and how it will affect those living in this metropolis continue to surround Delhi's redevelopment.
A hundred and fifty lakh people live and work in Delhi. And they are now seeing what could be the world's biggest city rebuilding project ever undertaken — with a world-class airport, brand new flyovers and transport corridors, and ultra-modern stadiums.
Over Rs 65,000 crore is being spent to redefine the image of the Capital, and make it a city fit to host the Commonwealth Games.
AIMING FOR THE SKIES
By October 2010, landing at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport will be an experience in itself.
"All the services are below the ground so passengers will not see any services. The lighting system, air conditioning are automatically monitored for energy consumption," CEO, Airport Development, I P Rao says.
With state-of-the-art technology, connectivity to the Delhi's most-prized-possession Metro Rail, multilevel parking lots and more, Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport is set to be India's biggest terminal.
This world-class terminal will cater to 37 million domestic and international passengers every year, starting 2010.
ON FAST-TRACK
Local transport within the city is changing too.
Sixty of the state-of-the-art Metro trains zip around and under Delhi's streets for 16 hours every day, carrying about 5 lakh passengers.
By 2010, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation expects the figure will rise to 22 lakh - a sixth of the Capital's population. And with special offers like tourist cards for visitors, the government says the Metro will ensure that Delhi's traffic doesn't grind to a halt during the Games.
The city's Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is all praises for the Metro as she says, "Metro of course will be double the mileage, that it has today, by 2010. So I think we will have about 172 km of Metro running round Delhi. It has already eased the traffic wherever it is going and it is very comfortable. It's supposed to be one of the best."
THE TOUGH ROAD
Delhi's redevelopment plan is not going unchallenged. Criticism has come from many quarters including planners, environmentalists, and — inevitably in an election year — from other political parties.
On October 19, a section of a Metro bridge under construction collapsed, killing two people. The BJP claimed that the government had been negligent.
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THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO UPGRADE ITS DEFENCE CAPABILITY BUT THEY HAVE 65,000 CRORES TO SPEND ON
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Dear Sir
I hope that every thing is accountable and it reflects on the performances of the indian athlete
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there are few important points which requires due consideration with the improvement in infrastrusture and beautification of delhi.road and intersections
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A whopping Rs.65,000 crore spend for the 2010 Commonwealth Games for DELHI alone!
Wonder when the GOI will even
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