DDA under scanner over Commonwealth stadium

New Delhi: Fourteen acres of green land in the heart of the Capital have been razed for a Commonwealth Games stadium. One thousand trees have already been sacrificed on a Rs 180 crore squash and badminton stadium.

It's not just the green lung that has been compromised. The Siri Fort wall, a 700-year-old protected monument around which the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has prohibited any construction work upto 300 meters, is bearing the brunt.

Constrution is taking place barely a few meters away from the wall, in clear violation of the ASI norms.

Ten Resident Welfare Associations in south Delhi have been fighting this case since May 2007. On a site visit on Tuesday, the Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) pulled up the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for a shoddily planned project.

The DDA has not submitted a master plan for the games stadium and the current plan does not have the compulsory clearance from traffic and security agencies. Most importantly, DDA's proposed entry point to the stadium involves part demolition of the existing sirifort sports complex, which already has a Supreme Court stay.

Senior advocate, Harish Salve says, "This is not the Delhi Development Authority. This is the Delhi Destruction Authority. This calls for a thorough debate on how the planning process of this city and country should be organised."

Director Spazzio Design Architecture, Sonali Bhagwati adds, "If there is an alternate plan we are okay with it. We want something that does not destroy what already exists."

The CEC has issued orders against cutting any more trees and DDA will have to restore the forest area once the games are over. DDA will now have to submit an alternate plan for construction at the earliest.

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#Commonwealth Games #Delhi Development Authority #Siri Fort #trees #greenery