Learnt Lessons from Beijing Delhi moves to 2010 Games

After the Beijing, China visit of different officials of Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Government, now there are clear signs that they have learnt a lot and eager to implement those things in Delhi before 2010 Commonwealth Games.
In my one of previous post Delhi to Learn from Chinese Preparation Model, I have reported about the visit of the government officials to china, to learn their preparation model for the Olympic Games and in Different Cultural Events during Commonwealth Games; I tried to figure out what they have learnt there.

In coming times we would see more implementation of different lessons learnt there.
As the Capital gears up to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010, ensuring free passage to athletes and their kin, officials and spectators on roads which are already choked to capacity is going to be a huge challenge.

The high level traffic police official who was the member of the team who went to China for the study reported ‘‘The first thing that struck me in Beijing was the roads, some of which are as wide as 10 lanes. The surface quality, road markings are brilliant and even the signages are uniform and self explanatory. Even though there is traffic on the roads during peak hours, the discipline of drivers is another striking feature,’’

But even as the Beijing experience was ‘‘great’’, the officer remarked that they are on the right track. In terms of traffic management technologies, the signaling systems on roads leading to the Olympics venues was Intelligent Traffic Signals (ITS), which Delhi has already started setting up in a phased manner. ‘‘By the year 2010, the plan is to have ITS on all 87 corridors which will be used by players and officials. The scheme will cover 302 intersections,’’ he added.

This entails installation of intelligent signals at all the intersections which will gauge the flow of traffic and adjust the cycles accordingly, video cameras at important locations which will relay real-time images of roads to a centralized control room, Automatic Number Plate Recognizer (ANPR) cameras which automatically read number plates of vehicles committing traffic offenses and send the data to a central server for generation of challan slips, Variable Message Sign (VMS) boards to give road users information about road conditions ahead and prosecution cameras attached to traffic signals. A state of the art traffic monitoring centre is also on the cards for greater efficiency.

‘‘The ITS system was conceived much before I visited China and is in the advanced stages now. It will be a reality before the Games,’’ he said. The process of development and control of systems was managed by a traffic control bureau. Beijing had also created a dedicated lane for vehicles with special labels, which included players, officials and selected taxis. ‘‘The lane discipline among drivers in the city was commendable and we will make efforts to emulate the same here. For this, creating awareness among drivers is important.

Different Cultural Events during Commonwealth Games

In one of my previous post Delhi to Learn from Chinese Preparation Model,for Commonwealth games, I had discussed the keenness of Indian Government to learn from the Chinese model of preparation, for the purpose a delegation of senior government officials including the Mayor visited China for studying preparations during the 2008 Olympic Games.

Now it seems that the Delhi government has apparently drawn some inspiration from them and their colorful ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics 2008. Delhi government is chalking out a plan to organize a series of different cultural events during the Commonwealth Games 2010.

A meeting in this regard, headed by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and attended by various high level officials like Commonwealth Games special advisor R. Narainswami, chief minister's principal secretary P.K. Tripathi, education secretary Reena Ray and other eminent personalities in the field of dance, culture, music and theatre, took some decisions for plans in this respect.

The programmes would be organized at different venues in the capital during the Games in October 2010.There would be main cultural events on opening and closing days. The city government would organize cultural evenings comprising of dance, music, folk and modern music, screening of films and puppet shows for visitors and players at different venues in the capital

Eminent cultural personalities have been especially requested by the chief minister to prepare a list of venues and details of programme to be organized.

The various venues discussed include Nehru Park, Connaught Place central park, Red Fort, Old Fort, Firoz Shah Kotla, Ravindra Bhawan, Humayun's tomb, Safdarjang tomb, India Gate and the Games village.

In addition to this the government also wants to showcase Delhi’s composite culture and the diversity of Indian culture. According to a spokesperson, historical buildings and other monuments will be illuminated and food courts could be organized to present cuisines of Delhi.

Hotel owners Alleged, Delhi not prepared for Games

According the hotel owners, Delhi is yet not prepared for 2010 Commonwealth Games, as there is an acute shortage of accommodation in the city. Hotel and restaurant industry representatives complained that no work has been done in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in 2010, and there is a need of a single window clearance system to address issues of accommodation, transportation and trained guides.

Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) vice-president Rajindera Kumar strongly complained that “nothing has been done” in reference to the preparation for the Games. He further added that there is a requirement of 6,000 additional rooms in time for the Games but nothing has been done in this regard. He said, ‘‘we will all end up in tents since there won’t be enough rooms in the city.’’

New Map for 2010 Commonwealth Games

The government is planning to facilitate the tourist coming to the city for the 2010 commonwealth games by making a complete map of the city which would have all the information regarding different bus routes and metro lines. This step is planned for making the journey of the visitors more easy and remarkable and to save them from mess. As the number of visitors is likely to increase many fold, it is a bare necessity of the time.

The map will have all the Metro lines, Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and private bus routes, Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) corridors, ring railways and feeder bus routes. Places of interest, monuments, important bus stops and selected telephone numbers will also be included to make sightseeing a fun experience and public transport accessible for tourists. The idea is to give tourists a fare idea of how to get around in the city the moment they reach here. The maps will detail all places of interest and link them to the models of transport available in the vicinity. For this, important bus stops and interchange points where people can switch from one mode of travel to another will also be marked out.

A senior official told that they will pick important areas of tourist importance and where one can easily find accommodation options. Routes leading to various games venues and Commonwealth Games Village will also be marked. He added that all the 600+ bus routes or 6,000-odd bus stops will not be marked on it as it will make the map to look cluttered.

The map will be a detailed one, giving road links too. It will be printed on good quality paper and the government is planning to make it look attractive and at the same time ensure that it is user-friendly too. Different icons will be used to mark categories of places of tourist interest and the various modes of transport operational in 2010 will be indicated in different colors.


Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is also being requested to send the exact route map of the lines which will be operational by October 2010. The map will be of international standards and user friendly.

It will be available at all access points to the city, including airport, railway stations, bus terminals, places of interest and markets like Janpath, hotels and leading bookstores. The map will also give an idea of the fares for Metro, buses and even taxis, radio cabs and autos. The transport department helpline number will also be mentioned in case any tourist wants to lodge a complaint. Transport department SPV Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) is also developing a web link where commuters can track the location of city buses on a city map. The real-time data will show the exact location of a particular bus, and how long it will take to reach a desired bus stop. By installing GPS in all the buses — Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and private — this real time tracking has been made possible.

Commonwealth Games Main Stadium

2010 Commonwealth Games Venues - Commonwealth Games Village

25% of work on 1168 flats for players complete 6% of work on practice and fitness venue done

2010 Commonwealth Games Venues - IGI Indoor Stadium

Development Agency: Central Public Works Department (CPWD)
Work Status : 30% Work completed for Gymnastics ,For Wrestling work has started recently and for Cycling it is yet to start
Games Venue for: Gymnastics, Cycling and Wrestling

2010 Commonwealth Games Venues - Yamuna Indoor Stadium

Development Agency: Delhi Development Authority(DDA)
Work Status : Work on snail’s pace and only 10% work has been completed till now
Games Venue for: Tennis Ball and Archery

2010 Commonwealth Games Venues - Siri Fort Indoor Stadium

Development Agency: Delhi Development Authority(DDA)
Work Status : Work on snail’s pace and only 10% work has been completed till now
Games Venue for: Tennis Ball and Archery

2010 Commonwealth Games Venues - Saket Sports Complex

Development Agency: Delhi Development Authority(DDA)
Work Status: Work yet to start, estimates are at final stages and tenders are likely to be invites by the end of this month.
Games Venue for: Training venue for Badminton

2010 Commonwealth Games Venues - Thyagaraja Stadium

Development Agency: Public Works Department(PWD)
Work Status : Work on track , Around 60% work complete in main indoor stadium building
Games Venue for: Athletics Training Track and Netball

2010 Commonwealth Games Venues - Shivaji Stadium

Development Agency: New Delhi Municipal Corporation(NDMC)

Work Status : Work on snail’s pace and only 5% work has been completed till now

Games Venue for: Athletics Training

2010 Commonwealth Games Venues - Talkatora Indoor Stadium

Development Agency: New Delhi Municipal Corporation(NDMC)
Work Status : The work is on track and hopefully meet the deadlines
Games Venue for: Boxing

2010 Commonwealth Games Venues - National Stadium

Development Agency: Central Public Works Department (CPWD)
Work Status : Around 30 % to 40 % work has been completed
Games Venue for: Hockey

2010 Commonwealth Games Venues - Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium

Development Agency : Central Public Works Department (CPWD)

Work Status : Main Stadium 20% Completed , Weight Lifting Auditorium 6% completed and Lawn Bowling Area yet to Start

Games Venue for: Opening and Closing Ceremonies , athletics, Lawn Bowl, Weight Lifting

Reality Check - Commonwealth Games Village Status

25% of work on 1168 flats for players complete 6% of work on practice and fitness venue done

ACTIVITIES RESIDENCES | PLAYERS’ FACILITIES

Quarter of flats ready The 1,168 plush top-end flats being developed at the Games Village site near Akshardham temple for the 8,000-odd players and officials are 25% ready, claims DDA. Meanwhile, Emaar-MGF, the developer has begun booking of its share of flats. Of the 1,168 flats one-third is DDA’s share.
As far as the other permanent facilities at the Games Village go, DDA has allotted work for the swimming pool, athletics track, indoor hall for wrestling, weightlifting and the fitness centre. Digging is on and DDA says that about 6% work has happened here. The completion deadline stands at May 2010.
The international zone, dining hall, transportation mall and operations area are temporary structures. Work from tendering to allotment and completion will be executed between January 2009 and May 2010.

Reality Check - Delhi Development Authority

DDA is constructing two indoor stadiums for the 2010 Games at Siri Fort Sports Complex and Yamuna Sports Complex. Siri Fort will be used for badminton and squash and Yamuna for table tennis and archery (preliminary). Both these sports complexes will also be used as training venues. At Siri Fort, the existing training facilities will be refurbished for badminton, squash, tennis and aquatics. In case of the Yamuna Sports Complex, the facilities will be redeveloped for aquatics, archery training, lawn bowling, rhythmic gymnastics and hockey training. Saket Sports Complex will be refurbished as a training venue for badminton
But a closer look shows that though work at both competition venues has started, only 10% has been achieved so far. The deadline for both these stadiums is February 2010. In case of the training venues, the estimates are at a final stage and tenders are likely to be floated by the end of this month. The DDA has set a deadline of December 2009 before itself.

Reality Check - New Delhi Municipal Corporation

Enter the main gate of Talkatora stadium and nothing seems like before. Construction material lies strewn all over the area and the wooden interiors of the main dome are gone. The floor is littered with chipped wood, thermocol and chunks of old glue holding the torn cladding together. The roof of the dome is also being brought down to allow light to flow in from empty sockets. NDMC officials said this is to be the venue for the boxing event. The wooden floor will be replaced with a state-of-the-art boxing ring, the benches with seats, warm-up cubicles and a new sports facility block under construction outside the indoor stadium will be linked to the boxing ring through a tunnel exclusively for players. The sports facility block is under construction and NDMC feels that it will be able to deliver on this project by the July 2009 deadline.
However, the picture is not as rosy at the Shivaji Stadium where a training venue for hockey is to be carved out. While the old structure has been demolished by NDMC and excavation work has started, sources said it is the presence of about a dozen shops and restaurants within the stadium premises which have slowed down things. The shopkeepers and the restaurant have gone to court over this. NDMC officials that the shops were given licences by NDMC which have expired in most cases. Thus they have been asked to move out as the stadium has to be renovated for the 2010 Games. But now that the matter is in various courts, the NDMC will have to wait for orders. The council expects the orders to come in by the end of this month or early next month. Till these are removed the complete site cannot be torn apart and the practice court with a capacity for 9000 cannot be created. The project has a deadline of November 2009. While officials agree that the delay is worrisome, they feel the project can be completed in time.

Reality Check - Public Works Department

As two cranes weighing 250 tonnes each lifted the giant truss measuring almost 107 metres in length and placed it on the pillars of the three storey structure coming up at Thyagaraja Stadium, the PWD moved a step closer towards its completion target of September 2009. Some 5,000 odd spectators will gather to cheer the players at the netball event which will be held here in 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Ten trusses are in place and another nine will complete the roof which will transform this venue into a spatial stadium with a dynamic design. Work on this Rs 297 crores green building project involves demolition of the old unattended structures and complete overhaul started in September 2007. PWD said nearly 60% of the work on the netball stadium is complete. It is to be a state-of-the-art building with electronically operated retractable seats. The indoor stadium will have facilities for athletics training.
The Delhi government’s chosen venue for Republic Day and Independence Day functions, Chhatrasal Stadium in Model Town is going to be the exclusive training venue for athletics. With the Independence Day function over now, the PWD has called for tenders and expects work to start here by mid-October. The deadline is December 2009. The work here involves bringing down the small building and replacing it with a facilities block for players, VIPs and the media. The cinder track will be substituted with a specialized synthetic track and the concrete steps where the chairs are kept for spectators will be converted to Kota stone and high quality PVC chairs are to be fixed here. Ludlow Castle II is going to be the wrestling den.
A dilapidated block at one end of the school is to be brought down to make way for the venue for training wrestlers. The ground floor will house facilities for wrestlers; the first floor is to house six rings and sitting areas for spectators. Work is yet to start. The PWD has prepared estimates for the project and is to send them to the education department for approval. The PWD hopes to start work by November end and finish it in about eight to nine months time.

Reality Check - Central Public Works Department

The overall responsibility of the 2010 Commonwealth Games is of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). CPWD, the consultant appointed by SAI is working against a December 2009 deadline to renovate Games venues.
The leading English daily Times of India conducted its reality check with Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, venue of the opening and closing ceremonies. It will also host events like athletics, lawn bowling and weightlifting. And what it found..?
Just 20% of the required work has been completed in the main stadium. CPWD has removed the four giant lights that were a city landmark for decades to make way for a roof over the spectators’ gallery as per international norms. The benches too are to be replaced by plush chairs to accommodate as many as 66,000 spectators. There will also be special centers for players, VIPs and media.
CPWD has only recently started work on the 2,500-capacity auditorium that will serve as the weightlifting venue. Only 6% of the work has been completed. CPWD sources said the approvals for the temporary structure which will be the lawn bowling venue, have been obtained. Work on the structure is yet to begin.
When an official of the CPWD was questioned that how the department plans to meet the stringent 2009 deadline, senior officials said now that the necessary approvals have been got and the work has begun, and the pace is expected to pick up and deadlines met, the official said.
They do not sound as optimistic when talking about the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, venue of gymnastics, wrestling and cycling events. Work on the timber track cycling velodrome is yet to start. Still awaiting a green signal on certain specifications from the government, the CPWD has put March 2010 as a safe deadline for the project. About 30% of the work in the velodrome is done and CPWD has set a deadline of August 2009 for it. The roof and the large indoor stadium hall with a seating capacity of 16,000 is being overhauled and a warm-up area is also being created. The deadline for the wrestling area which will have a seating capacity for 7,500 is September 2009 and work has only just started.
At Major Dhyanchand National Stadium three turfs and a warm-up area are to be carved out for hockey. At the site, construction is on in full swing. According to CPWD, work is on schedule to meet the November 2009 deadline.
At the SP Mukherjee Swimming Pool next to Talkatora Garden, the CPWD suffered a setback when after all the clearances it found that the land where the swimming pool and related facilities are to be developed for aquatics and diving competitions is located in the ridge area. The clearances took time and work on the swimming venue which will have a seating capacity of 5,000 could start only some time ago. Only 9% work is done and the project is already delayed by 46 days.
The smallest of the projects is the Karnail Singh shooting range where a double storey structure and the play area have to be readied. The CPWD sees work starting here in about a month’s time.

A Reality Check of Commonwealth Games 2010 venues

The Beijing Olympics is over and the action moves to London for the 2012 Olympic games. But before that, New Delhi is to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010. While Beijing Olympics showcased years of preparations which translated into an impressive visual treat and jaw-dropping examples of cutting-edge infrastructure, the level of the Capital’s preparedness on the other hand for an event that is barely two years away is worrying to say the least. Here is a reality check on the competition and training venues for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the city which will see as many as 8,000 athletes participating.

The Following Agencies are engaged in the different activities of renovation, constructions and new developments:

• Central Public Works Department(CPWD)
• Public Works Department (PWD)
• New Delhi Municipal Corporation(NDMC)
• Delhi Development Authority (DDA)

Along with other small contractors and developers , appointed by these agencies
I will post the progress of these agencies , one by one in my coming posts

Is Delhi Ready to Play 2010 Commonwealth Games

If all plans and proposals for the 2010 Commonwealth Games be completed in time, we would have our very own Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium like The Nest was to Beijing 2008. Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium will be our very own Wukesong in less than two more years

>

2010 Commonwealth Games will boost Tourism industry

Commonwealth games 2010, which is going to be held in India is going to be proved a boon for the travel and tourism industry, not only in India but almost the whole world will get some share of it .The most benefit is going for travel agents all around the world. As tourists battle to get a piece of the action there will be a sudden increase in demand for flights to India which means that companies can raise their prices. This is great news for travel agents because the games are taking place in October which is normally a quiet time for tour operators as everyone has just come back from their summer holidays.

The tour operators in India will do every effort to cash this opportunity, as it is most probable that the visitors coming for commonwealth games would like to travel various tourist destinations all over the country and in this way the industry is going to receive a huge revenue inflow. So it is highly likely that tour operators within India would be offering various different trips for those who have come to see the games. Excursions which will enable tourists to see some of the country while they are there are likely to soar in popularity while the event is taking place.

Travel agents aren’t the only ones likely to benefit from the Commonwealth Games taking place as the increase in tourism is going to have a massive impact on India’s economy and local businesses. Hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions are almost guaranteed an increase in business for the period just before, during and after the event is taking place. Not only does this bring in more money for these businesses but it means that more staff is going to have to be employed to cope with the demand. A demand for new employees is going to come at a great advantage to India’s local community who are searching for work.

It is unlikely that those attending the Commonwealth Games from various places all around the world are going solely for that purpose and therefore it is likely that they will be visiting various parts of the country. This means that it is not just the event that will be making lots of money but local businesses and services around the area will be as well. Local travel agents are likely to offer special trips for those who need a day away from the games and want to explore more of India.

The Commonwealth Games 2010 take place from the 3rd to 14th October 2010 and include a wide range of sporting activities from aquatics, archery and athletics to cycling, gymnastics, rugby and wrestling. There will be various different venues where all of the events will be taking place as well.

Delhi University preparing for 2010 Commonwealth Games

As Delhi University is selected as the venue for Aquatics and Rugby events for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the University has big plans to set up an advanced Aquatics complex and a coaching centre to groom the budding talents for the mega event.

According to the plans the complex will have four pools -- swimming pool, synchronized swimming pool, warm-up pool and diving pool, each equipped with a filtration plant and heating system. The diving pool will have lift for diving tower.

These pools will be developed, keeping in mind the world level standards and would have world class facilities. Various technical organizations have been consulted to effectively implement the plans. The department of Physical Education and Sports, Delhi University has been given the work of proper supervision and implementations. In addition to this, National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior has also been contacted for providing their expertise in construction of the swimming facilities.

The Delhi University Administration has proposed and earmarked 20 acres of land for the construction of various pools, and got approval from the organizing committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The Aquatic Complex proposed would also have fitness centers, store rooms, a dope sample collection centre and medical centers

The existing pavilion building is also planned for renovation for Rugby

The Delhi University does not want to lag behind in the terms of preparing its students for the games .For this purpose, the University administration has requested Sports Authority of India to start an in-house coaching centre on the campus, where training on every type of games will be provided.

Infrastructure development for 2010 Commonwealth Games - 4

The reality on the ground shows the snail's pace of work


And this is the Aerial View of the Stadium


Source : http://www.skyscrapercity.com

Infrastructure development for 2010 Commonwealth Games - 3

Thyagraj Sports Complex is the competition venue for netball and training venue for Athletics for Commonwealth Games, Delhi 2010. The site is located on shri Gangnath Marg in Thyagraj Nagar. Multipurpose air conditioned stadium with required facilities for netball and synthetic athletic tracks with required facilities are proposed to be constructed .In addition there will be 5 lawn tennis courts .The stadium has a seating capacity for 6823 spectators





Source : http://www.skyscrapercity.com

Infrastructure development for 2010 Commonwealth Games - 2

R . K Khanna Tennis Stadium and others , construction and developments on full swing



Source : http://www.skyscrapercity.com

Infrastructure Development for 2010 Commonwealth Games - 1

I have got some recent pictures of the various construction and development work going on for 2010 Commonwealth Games, from http://www.skyscrapercity.com/. I didn't know from where the guys got these pics , but they are really nice and also show all the reality behind the scene. Enjoy!!

New Accommodations at Commonwealth Games Village

Seldom does one gets an opportunity to own a piece of sporting history, and if it’s the residential infrastructure readied to accommodate athletes at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Village in Delhi, the legacy only gets stronger. The city is witnessing a complete infrastructural makeover. Part of this makeover, is the prestigious Games Village being developed close to the Akshardham Temple in East Delhi.

Leading developer Emaar MGF won, as a part of Delhi Development Authority’s global tendering process, this Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative which will be one of the most superior residential developments of the capital. Strategically located, the Games Village is a few minutes away from the Central Business District (CBD), with excellent connectivity by way of an elevated road network and metro services. The development will house 1,168 ultra-modern premium apartments, spread over 27.17 acres, and will house more than 8,000 athletes and officials during the Games.

“The Commonwealth Games Village, one of the landmark projects for our group, is a certified green development in the city that adheres to the most stringent quality parameters. The development will incorporate the best international practices and standards not only from a design perspective, but include modern energy solutions, including solar power for common areas, VRV technology air-conditioning systems, apart from comprehensive security systems like video phones,” said an Emaar MGF official.

The village is spread over 34 towers and international architects & designer SRSS of Singapore is working on the project. It will have two to five bedrooms apartments with sizes ranging from 1,250 sq ft to 3,000 sq ft and prices starting from Rs 1.75 crores and going up to Rs 4 crores. All the towers will range from six to nine levels and the residential complex will have a two-level car parking and services facilities at the basement level.

With more than 73% greens and open spaces, the whole area will be landscaped with gardens, walkways and pathways. The complex will include ample leisure and recreational facilities such as a health club, community centre, and clubhouse as well as convenience retail space apart from specific children play areas and recreation facilities for senior citizens. The village will have sports facilities like tennis courts, half-court basketball, a 30-metre lap pool with recreation bay and a bubble pool.

Says Anuj Puri, chairman of Jones Lang Lasalle Meghraj, “Apart from catapulting Delhi in the top league as a world-class city, this development will also help address the housing demand within the region. With construction on in full swing, the Village is making rapid progress towards the scheduled deadline of March 2010.

One of the key developments around this sporting event, the Games Village will be a defining example of superior Indian skills and capabilities. Once completed, the village will boast of 3.8 million sq ft built-up space housing the capital’s premier residential address.”

Officials Expressed Concerns over Games Preparations

I have posted on a topic about Delhi to learn from Chinese preparation model, in which I have quoted that some officials are visiting China to learn about their preparation of Olympic Games, which would help us in making better preparations for 2010 Commonwealth Games. Now when they have returned lets see what their opinion on the topic is:

Indian sports officials visiting Beijing to study the arrangements for the Olympic Games are having serious doubts about whether Delhi would be ready to host the Commonwealth Games by 2010.
‘‘It is not merely a question of infrastructure. It is the quality of organization. The manner in which the Olympics are being conducted makes me wonder if we can handle the job in 2010,’’ a senior official connected with the Commonwealth Games said, and added: ‘‘The Chinese are simply excellent in both allocating and implementing tasks. We work through committees with everyone escaping responsibility.’’
Visiting sports officials are expected to influence the decision-making process concerning the Commonwealth Games based on their experience in Beijing. But some of them worry that their feedback might be cast aside because it may hurt vested interests.
‘‘The Chinese have used existing infrastructure like the Workers’ Stadium and built new facilities as well. I am wondering if it was wise to reconstruct Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium instead of building a new one,’’ another official said. The official felt that there was very little time left for the Commonwealth Games to make major changes in design and layout and said ongoing work was already behind schedule.
‘‘Besides Beijing, the Olympic Games are being held in four co-host cities — Tianjin, Qingdao, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Why can’t we too involve other Indian cities instead of organizing all events in Delhi, which may not be able to handle the load?’’ an official said. This would also take visitors from abroad across the country and boost tourism, he added.
‘‘The Chinese seem to have planned meticulously right down to every minute detail. We are nowhere near them,’’ he said. Even the process of observing and learning from Beijing should have started much earlier, the official said.
The manner in which nearly 200,000 volunteers have been trained and mobilized is another lesson to be learnt for the 2010 Games in Delhi, an official observed. Volunteers are playing a key role in Beijing and helping develop a sense of nationalism connected to hosting of the Olympic Games. ‘‘A sense of nationalism is essential for any country not only to host such an event,’’ the official said.

Source: Times of India News Paper Delhi Edition

2010 Commonwealth Games Distance Map

This map intends to show the distances between different 2010 Commonwealth Games Sport Stadiums,where different games will be held and The Games Village .The distances are correct but the map is only picture representation and not to scale .
Click on the map to enlarge

Source : http://www.mapsofworld.com

Delhi to Learn from Chinese Preparation Model

Senior officials are visiting china to learn about the preparation for Beijing Olympics

Municipal Corporation of Delhi, populariliy known as MCD is sending around six of its senior officials to Beijing, China, to ‘study’ the preparations made by China for the Olympic Games. As 2010 Commonwealth Games has to be hosted in the city in 2010, Mayor Arti Mehra who visited Beijing and just returned India, said on Sunday that six senior officials, probably executive engineers would be sent to Beijing, china to study the model applied by the Chinese, which can help improve our preparations for the commonwealth game in 2010. But these officials would visit there only after the Olympic Games are over.

The civic agency would bear the traveling cost, which would be approximately Rs 3 lakhs, the accommodation would be provided by China, according to the mayor. As per official records, the civic agency has made no significant headway on ground with regard to most projects under it for Commonwealth Games. This track record notwithstanding, the Corporation now plans to send its officials to China to ‘learn lessons’ from the Chinese.
Mehra thrashed the officials and commented that they are giving importance to solving matters; instead they are much interested in blame-game.

According to the mayor “The beautification along roads, infrastructure development etc was impressive in Beijing and we should learn from them”. She has discussed with the MCD commissioner K S Mehra about sending a few MCD officials to Beijing and also to get in touch with the Chinese Olympic Association to take MCD officials around and show them preparations that were made during the Games. Since the Association is presently busy with the Olympics games, MCD officials will be sent only after the Beijing Olympic Games are over.

The return ticket to Beijing costs around Rs 45,000 and the MCD will give them a daily allowance of around Rs 1,600 or more.
Mehra said there is need to fast track projects to ensure that everything is in place by then. Mehra herself has been to Beijing as part of the “Observer Programme” which was conducted by the organizing committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games with other senior government functionaries.

Commonwealth 2010 preparations moving on Snail’s Pace

Infrastructure development for Commonwealth Games 2010 is way behind schedule despite the fact that official permission for most projects was taken on October 31, 2005. According to sources, the reason for the snail’s pace on all projects is the delay in getting official clearance.

The civic agency, MCD, has received a whopping amount of 75.5 crores from Delhi government for its projects. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is supposed to construct 16 railway/ road over bridges and under bridges all across the city. However, work on 9 of them is yet to start as official clearance from the Railway Board is yet to come, according to works committee chairman Mahender Nagpal. They appear unlikely to be ready by 2010. The civic agency also needs to complete the 16 multi-level car parking sites before 2010, which have been in the pipeline since way back in 2004.

More AC buses to ply in Delhi

The Delhi Transport Corporation has done a new experiment by introducing new AC buses on the roads of Delhi and the response was over cheering. The new air-conditioned bus fleet has been proved to be a huge crowd puller. The senior government officials proposed that the number of buses should be doubled and the AC fleet has to be enhanced before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, in a review meeting which held a short before. The government has good plans to increase the proposed number of 1,250 AC buses to about 2,500 in a phased manner.
After the review which showed that the AC buses currently on road were a big hit with the citizens, senior government officials said that the total number of AC buses to be procured should be doubled.

The first lot of AC buses is running to packed capacity and the transport department is flooded with people’s requests from all parts of the city to run the buses in their areas.

The first order which was placed for 525 low-floor buses, there were just 25 buses supposed to be AC. Now the transport department is trying to see how the number of AC buses in the successive orders can be increased. Doing this could also mean a decrease in the non AC green buses.

Source : Times of India News Paper , Delhi Edition

Delhi University welcomes Youth Games baton

It’s the order of the hour what Honour, excitement, celebration and international acclaim. That’s what the Commonwealth Youth Games 2008 baton will bring to Delhi University as it passes through North Campus on Friday.
The baton will pass through 18 DU colleges as well as the campuses of Jamia Millia Islamia University and Jawaharlal Nehru University over two days. The relay will be flagged off from the north campus sports complex and chief minister Sheila Dikshit and several well-known sportspersons are expected to participate in the event on the first day.
While much in the way of festivities has been planned in the colleges, the issue of security has been a cause of concern. With the city under a heavy security blanket following the twin blasts at Bangalore and Ahmedabad, police are refusing to take any chances. “The red alert in the city has forced us to adopt all precautions, especially since a number of sportsmen and dignitaries are expected to visit the venues,” said a senior official associated with the event.
On Friday, there will be a live performance by Rabbi Shergil and Palash Sen at 11.30 am after which the baton relay will be flagged off at 12.30 pm. The baton will go to each college on the campus. It will halt at each for only five minutes during which five outstanding students or faculty members of the college will get to hold the baton. On Saturday, the baton will go to the south campus.
The Commonwealth Youth Games is being held for the third time and this year, 71 countries will be taking part in the extravaganza to be held in Pune in October. “DU is not the host for the baton relay, but only a venue. However, nothing like this has happened in DU before and students are excited about taking part in the relay. About 500 students have already turned up for rehearsals,” said Jitendra Naruka, director, sports, Delhi University.
While the students appeared excited, they also felt they did not have enough time to celebrate. “We wish we could have welcomed the baton in a big way in our college. But as we just have five minutes, only five of our international-level athletes will carry the baton,” said Meenakshi Ahuja, HOD, sports, Lady Shri Ram College. She added that about two minutes will also be spent in collecting water from every college, which will be put in the youth fountain being made in Pune. “All our students are excited as this would be a rare experience, but we have very little time,” said S R Arora, principal, Hans Raj College.
With the issue of security casting a shadow on the event, security agencies and police are leaving no stones unturned. “We will follow all anti-terrorism measures including securing all entry and exit points leading to the stadium. The bomb disposal squad will also scan the venue. The car parking has been organized opposite the School of Open Learning about a kilometer from the venue on the first day. Each visitor will be frisked,” said a senior police official. “We have already placed our men at the site from where the relay will be flagged off,” said Devesh Srivastava, DCP (North). Sources in the police said that the security agencies will secure all rooftops. Plain clothes policemen will also infiltrate hostels in order to sanitize them.

Source: Times of India News Paper, Delhi Edition