Games Village flouting ecological norms

'GREEN' GAMES? SHAME, SHAME!: Environmentalists are up in arms over the Games Village which is being built on the Yamuna's flood plains.

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New Delhi: Activists and ecologists maintain that the Government is flouting environmental norms by building the Games Village for the 2010 Commonwealth Games on the Yamuna flood plains.

Expert Committees set up by the Delhi Government are also against the Plan, with members of the Environment Ministry saying they never approved of the plan and gave no go aheads. The Usha Mehra Committee had even urged DDA to even stop construction.

A K Gosain of the Environmental Expert Committee said "We had never said 'yes'."

The High Court order said in no uncertain terms that no Encroachment is permitted on the Yamuna plain, that residential, religious or industrial structures are not Allowed.

Surprisingly, those in charge of the project insist that approvals are well in place.

Politician Ajay Maken says "DUAC and MOEF are the governing bodies to give approval. We have them both."

Suresh Kalmadi added, "The DDA, I think, got the approvals and we went ahead," clearly indicating his lack of certainty.

But documents show the Games Village Site violates a High Court Order against all encroachments on the Yamuna Flood Plain.

The Delhi Government's plan for the Village post-Games , is also suspect. The DDA and Shiela Dixit had originally promised to convert the 4000 odd houses into University accommodation. But Dixit's son, who is also the East Delhi Lok Sabha MP and Ajay Maken reveal that the Games Village is clearly being seen as prime real estate..

Maken also says that 2/3rd of the houses will be sold off to Emaar and rest will be auctioned off by DDA.

4000 houses being sold at prime rates is a lot of money so it is small wonder that key environmental concerns are being wilfully ignored. Interestingly, the Delhi Government insists on calling the Commonwealth Games, Green Games.