Athletes and Games Official to Have Smooth Sail on Road

Amid instances of how preparations for the Commonwealth Games have not been up to the mark, the successful first full trial run on the elevated road connecting Ring Road near Sarai Kale Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Friday came as a big relief for the Delhi government. Public Works Department (PWD) minister Raj Kumar Chauhan announced that the elevated road would be opened for general commuters from October 15, immediately after the Games.

‘Government has spent a huge amount in building the project. We don’t want public to be deprived of using this stretch once the Games is over. It will reduce the travel time between these two points to only 5-6 minutes,’’ the minister said. The road has been built entirely on the Barapullah Nullah bed. ‘‘Construction of the road was necessary for taking Games sportspersons and officials directly to the main venue. How could we have taken the huge fleet of buses through crowded roads?’’ Chauhan said.

On Friday, about 240 low floor air-conditioned DTC buses meant for the athletes and officials covered this distance. The buses started from Games Village and took the elevated road from Ring Road just opposite Bala Sahib Gurudwara.

Metro Line Glitch on Gurgaon line hits service

Commuters using the Gurgaon Metro line faced delays on Monday morning after train operations on a portion of the line were suspended for 45 minutes to repair a technical snag on the overhead electrification (OHE) line. Even though the shut-off was scheduled and commuters were told about it at stations, commuters were inconvenienced as they had to opt for other modes of transport.

The technical snag affected the section between Sultanpur and Guru Dronacharya Metro stations and there were virtually no trains between the two locations during the affected time. Commuters complained even in the morning, the trains were running slowly and halting at every station for five minutes. At the receiving end were scores of office-goers who have not started depending on the Metro for their daily commute out of Gurgaon.

‘‘I boarded the train around 10am from Sikanderpur station to go to Delhi and as usual it was running slow and halting every now and then. However, I realized something was wrong when our train reached Sultanpur station. Instead of going to Platform 1, the train changed track and got on Platform 2 on which passengers heading towards Gurgaon were waiting. There were no announcements made and everybody in the train was left wondering what had happened,’’ said Arun Kumar, a DLF-3 resident.

According to commuters, the trouble started as early as 8am. ‘‘On Monday morning, the journey which usually takes 40 minutes took more than an hour. I boarded the train around 8am and it kept halting at every station. There were no announcements what the delay was about and when we reached Sultanpur station there was some confusion and the train stopped at platform 3, it usually stops at platform 2,’’ said Sunder Singh, a Karol Bagh resident. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials, meanwhile, said they had taken a block in services from 11.20am to 11.50am to repair the snag in the overhead electrification line.

Different Government Agencies to supply ambulances for Games

Ambulances for Commonwealth Games will now be brought from different government agencies, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central government hospitals and Centralized Accident and Trauma Services (CATS).

With 12 days to go for the event, the state government has scrapped the names of private hospitals from the list of sources that were supposed to provide ambulances. Health minister Kiran Walia said there was no shortage of ambulances.

According to the latest report on medical arrangements by the health department, 64 ambulances will cater to the Games. The department has procured 31 new ambulances from a private company called MGM, seven Advanced Life Support ambulances have been sourced through the state government, 12 have been brought from Central government hospitals and the rest have been provided by CATS. The CRPF has donated two ambulances to the organizing committee (OC).

Private hospitals and agencies, including the I-Care group, Max Hospital and another Noida-based hospital, which were in talks with the government for providing ambulances and drivers if required, have not been involved by the state yet. ‘‘We along with other service providing agencies and the Delhi Medical Association have been in dialogue with the government on providing some ambulances. We are still waiting confirmation on the exact requirement, if any,” said an official at Max Hospital, Saket.

Walia said the government had arranged the required number of ambulances on its own. “We have sufficient ambulances, which will be available round-the-clock near polyclinics, hotels and the airport. The accreditation process for 167 crew members, who will man these vehicles, is 75% complete,” said Walia. She said 35 venue medical centers and 38 first-aid posts have been made operational. On an average, one ambulance will be stationed outside the 35 medical centers and the rest will be placed across important points near the training venues and Games village. The ambulance command and control will be done through CATS control room in West Delhi.

For transportation to different locations of medical inside the Games village, the government has arranged eight-seater golf carts. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, and G B Pant Hospital will have provisions for definitive treatment of accredited personnel.

Special Games Kiosks for Information cum Food

You can savor the different delicacies of Delhi at a kiosk close to your house now. For the Games, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will install 40 information-cum-food kiosks across the city which will focus on hard selling ‘Brand Delhi’. Two such installations were opened on Monday. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit inaugurated a cafe near Birla Mandir while mayor Prithvi Raj Sawhney unveiled a similar
kiosk near Red Fort.

The mayor said kiosks will be put up at various heritage sites and major markets. T-shirts, bags, caps and mugs with themes like ‘‘I Love Delhi’’ and ‘‘Delhi Dilwalaon Ka’’ under the brand tag of ‘‘Delhi memories’’ will be sold at these cafes. Each cafe will have a 30x20 inch touchscreen to provide information to visitors in eight foreign and Indian languages about tourist attractions in the city, its culture and heritage, shopping areas, food, accommodation and nightlife.

‘The kiosks will also sell street food and beverages in a safe and hygienic environment. For example in the stall near Chandni Chowk, the famous paranthas, chaat, jalebi and lassi of Walled City will be available,’’ said Amiya Chandra, chief of MCD’s remunerative project cell.

Added another official, ‘‘We will have chocolates in the shape of Qutub Minar and earrings will be shaped like jalebi.’’ The official added the items that are being sold are all eco-friendly. The MCD said it has not incurred any expenditure in the project which has been undertaken in a public-private partnership mode. The stalls will be operational for 100 days and the private agency will get profit from the sale of items. After that, the units will be transferred to MCD which will use them as government-to-citizen kiosks.

‘‘We will transform the stalls to G2C kiosks. Touch screens will be there, but no items will be sold,’’ said Chandra. The touch screens will provide information on ATMs, police stations and hospitals along with important contact numbers other than travel related information about Jaipur and Agra. It will have bluetooth to facilitate data transfer.

Come September 23, Brace for Jams as Athletes start to Arrive

As athletes start pouring in for the Commonwealth Games from September 23, the traffic police plan to start blocking off Games lanes to provide them a free passage from the airport to the Commonwealth Games village. The road blocks, however, will not last for the entire day or night. The plan is to cordon off one lane of the main road in a need-based manner, depending on timings of arrival of the athletes.

The main route to be affected on September 23 and 24 will be from the airport to Commonwealth Games village via Sardar Patel Marg, Chanakyapuri, Lodhi Road, portion of Ring Road near Sarai Kale Khan, Nizamuddin Bridge and National Highway-24. ‘‘The roads will only be blocked when there is movement of athletes. At all other times, they will be available for traffic. We will be giving out day-to-day advisories informing people of the roads which will be affected and the timings of the movements,’’ said Satyendra Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic).

Not many road blocks are expected in the first two days on the rest of the stretches. The Organizing Committee has drawn up a training schedule too for athletes but this movement will begin full swing after a sizeable number of athletes have arrived.

The dedicated Games lanes have been marked mostly on the extreme right of arterial roads across the city. The lanes are painted using a solid yellow line with blue boxes with the Commonwealth Games logo and arrows at regular intervals. Those entering the lanes while the blocks are on will have to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 via a special notification being invoked by the cops.

To calm traffic volumes, the traffic had written to Delhi government to close schools, colleges, courts, factories, etc. In addition, all Games tickets will come with a free to and for Metro ride to the venue which spectators to events can avail of. Delhi-ites are also being urged to use public transport as far as possible. But despite all measures, the cordoning off of the one lane is expected to lead to jams, especially on two lanes roads falling on the route like Sardar Patel Marg, Kamal Attaturk Marg, Mall road, etc.

Elevated Road at Barapullah Nullah Shows no Sign of Completition

After missing several deadlines, a semblance of completion of the elevated road on Barapullah Nullah is now being turned into a PR exercise. The last segment all set to be launched on Wednesday afternoon in the presence of PWD minister Raj Kumar Chauhan. There is, however, still no clarity about the actual completion date or when trial runs can start.

Sources in Delhi government said that the minister will launch the lifting of the last segment and the engineers would need three hours to fix it. Chauhan confirmed that he would visit the spot. ‘‘This is a crucial project and we will complete the fixing of all segments on Wednesday. The project will be completely ready by September 14,’’ the minister said.

PWD officials said that by Tuesday night lifting and fixing of 447 of the 448 segments would have been completed. ‘‘The last one will be fixed tomorrow (Wednesday) over the railway tracks. So with this we will complete the main work within the given deadline. It will take another fortnight to complete the finishing work including illumination of the entire stretch,’’ said a senior PWD official.

No decision has yet been taken on the final date for the trial run of the elevated corridor which connects Ring Road near Sarai Kale Khan with Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. It is supposed to provide seamless transportation for sportspersons and Games officials and as such will be completely taken over by Delhi Police by September 15 as per the set security drill.

Officials say that for the past few weeks several top babus have visited the site along with people from the chief minister’s office. The pace of work on the road has been a major cause for concern and things had for a while seemed headed for the worst when the contractor asked for additional payment for use of launchers. Inspection after inspection has since happened including one by cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar and the road kept missing deadlines. It continues to do so even as the PWD minister looks for some publicity out of being present at the launch of the “final” segment after the many inspections that he has carried out there.

The Rs 550 crore project was originally scheduled to be completed in June this year.

No Plans for Heritage Sites

The story of modern New Delhi began at this spot. It was here the King Emperor announced with great pomp on December 11, 1911, that the capital would move from Calcutta, but barely 38 days before the Commonwealth Games, Delhi Tourism admits it has no plans for the derelict wasteland called the Coronation Memorial.

This unconcern is seen to make bad business sense, ahead of a sporting event that is themed around a commonwealth of former colonies and expects to draw thousands of tourists from countries that have had a similar experience with imperialism.

At least 7 lakh British tourists visit India every year and thousands more from other former British colonies. British expats here agree their countrymen would be happy to pay good money to see the Memorial’s towering obelisk announcing the imperial Delhi c 1911 on the exact spot where King George V and Queen Mary sat. The Memorial, in the far north of the capital, hosted three imperial darbars in 1877, 1903 and 1911 and the canny English rulers of the day exploited marketing opportunities by selling souvenir guide books and hawking to Brook Bond Tea, the right to supply the Darbar’s official beverage.

But Delhi Tourism is clear it ‘‘has no plans as yet to include Coronation Memorial in its itinerary’’. Planning manager Amarjeet Singh adds that ‘‘the department as yet hasn’t received or mulled over any proposal to conduct visitors to the Coronation Memorial through day trips.’’

Tourism plans for the forlorn park have been in the works for five years but the site remains a junkyard of Raj-era statues, all but engulfed by tick-ridden undergrowth.

In November 2005, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), India’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of heritage, announced they would restore the park as a tourist attraction.

But Brijesh Chander, DDA executive engineer responsible for the north zone, admits there is still no concrete plan in place and ‘‘the entire project of beautification and restoration of the Memorial is going to cost DDA around Rs 22 crore, for which INTACH has been appointed as consultant as well as implementer, (but the project) will only be completed by December 2011.

Chander said that ‘‘if some foreign tourists want to visit the Memorial during Commonwealth Games, we are trying to complete the entrance road that leads to the main pillar. For the rest, people have to wait till the end of next year.’’

The Memorial’s woeful state of neglect contrasts oddly with DDA’s stated intentions, as of October 30, 2007, in its approved Draft Zonal Development Plan. The Plan says, Coronation Memorial reminds of the foundation stone laid for Imperial Delhi as the new capital of India which was subsequently shifted at Raisina hill.

Coronation Park houses the marble statues of King George V, which was originally under the canopy at India Gate, and the other important personalities of the British period in India. An earlier zonal plan had proposed to develop this land as a play area for special children, similar to the one existing at India Gate.

The land around Coronation Pillar is under the jurisdiction of L&DO.It is near to NH-1 bypass and therefore it has the potential of being developed as a tourist spot. The adjoining area earmarked for green/water body can be taken for development of sports facilities, etc.

However, none of this has happened so far. In June 2009, Delhi announced it wanted to be one of 220 UNESCO World Heritage Cities and would create a heritage tourism route linking at least 30 big and small historical monuments, starting at the Coronation Memorial. The pilot project, funded by the World Monuments Fund (WMF), gave $200,000 as a start-up grant and the Memorial was meant to be part of this.

A G K Menon, convener of INTACH Delhi Chapter, which was asked by DDA to restore the Memorial, says,’ We are chalking out major plans for the Memorial’s centenary celebrations on December 11, 2011. By then, we shall be able to renovate and upgrade it. It is largely a conservation project of the 50-55 acres of the park area but it also requires some construction work such as building a cafe, souvenir shops, interpretation centres and a small museum or a photo gallery in the campus.

The entire plan would be implemented before the December 2011 deadline, even though we may not be able to tap the Commonwealth tourism this year.’’

Another Shock: Swimming pools may not get certification

Another Games project is under the scanner. It has been alleged that DDA has spent “too much” to construct four swimming pools the main one and a leisure pool at the Village and one pool each at Siri Fort and Yamuna Sports Complex.

What makes matters worse, said sources familiar with the contract, DDA may not be able to secure mandatory certification from Fidiration Internationale de Natation (FINA), the international body administering swimming standards, before the Games begin. Luckily, Talkatora stadium, the venue for swimming competitions, has obtained certification in time.

Along with the astronomical increase in cost, the tender process was delayed. From the time pre-qualification estimate was prepared, it took DDA more than a year to issue a tender at the end of 2009.

The selection of manufacturers of the filtration equipment is also mired in controversy. In the initial tender document, there were three firms, but just one seemed a genuine manufacturer. At least one prequalified bidder who objected was disqualified, sources said.

Documents with an english daily show that Pentair, a firm that reportedly makes filtration equipment in Spain, found its way into the final list of manufacturers. The then member (engineering) of DDA noted on file that the “basis (for inclusion) of Pentair has not been substantiated”, and added “this be kept on record”.

According to documents, a part of records that are part of a CVC inquiry, Pentair probably does not manufacture big filters and systems required for the Games and they have not possibly catered to Olympic size pools. A mandated inspection of the manufacturing plant in Spain was never undertaken by DDA.

On December 21, 2009 when the post-bid meeting was called, those who submitted tenders were given blank technical documents to fill up including mentioning makes of equipment. Pentair found its place in these documents. Meanwhile, the pools are still not ready.

Heat on for DDA over Games Pools

It is not just the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee that stands accused of inflating payments and manipulating tender processes.

The story of how four training swimming pools, including two at the Commonwealth Games Village, were constructed by Delhi Development Authority is one of blatant price escalation, allegations of tainted tendering and could end with the fiasco of the pools not receiving required certification on time.

As authorities rush to ensure that the pools get their certification ahead of the Games, the Central Vigilance Commission’s technical examiner has begun to scan contracts, especially for filtration equipment procured by DDA which could now face some serious questioning.

The construction of the four swimming pools the main one and a leisure pool at the Village and one pool each at Siri Fort and Yamuna Sports Complex has seen DDA shelling out almost 20 times the price for filtration equipment compared to similar projects completed recently.

The filtration equipment for DDA’s Chilla Sports Complex swimming pool, which has a larger capacity with similar specifications, was completed in April for about Rs 27 lakh. As of now, DDA is paying over Rs 5 crore for each of the main training pools.

When the pre-qualification estimate was done for filtration plants for the first time in September 2008, the estimate was a combined Rs 3.25 crore for the main and leisure pool at the Village. And Rs 2.5 crore each for the pools at Siri Fort and Yamuna complex. The already high rates went up to Rs 3.19 crore in estimates when the chief engineer (electrical) initiated the process for inviting tenders in a few months time. Then, towards the end of 2009, the cost for the filtration plant and other accessories went up to Rs 5.09 crore a pool.

DDA did not reply to a detailed questionnaire sent by english daily Times of India on August 16 on the entire issue.

Swimming pools may not get certification from top body

Another Games project is under the scanner. It has been alleged that DDA has spent “too much” to construct four swimming pools the main one and a leisure pool at the Village and one pool each at Siri Fort and Yamuna Sports Complex.

What makes matters worse, said sources familiar with the contract, DDA may not be able to secure mandatory certification from Fidiration Internationale de Natation (FINA), the international body administering swimming standards, before the Games begin. Luckily, Talkatora stadium, the venue for swimming competitions, has obtained certification in time.

Along with the astronomical increase in cost, the tender process was delayed. From the time pre-qualification estimate was prepared, it took DDA more than a year to issue a tender at the end of 2009.

The selection of manufacturers of the filtration equipment is also mired in controversy. In the initial tender document, there were three firms, but just one seemed a genuine manufacturer. At least one pre-qualified bidder who objected was disqualified, sources said.

Documents with a leading english daily shows that Pentair, a firm that reportedly makes filtration equipment in Spain, found its way into the final list of manufacturers. The then member (engineering) of DDA noted on file that the “basis (for inclusion) of Pentair has not been substantiated”, and added “this be kept on record”.

According to documents, a part of records that are part of a CVC inquiry, Pentair probably does not manufacture big filters and systems required for the Games and they have not possibly catered to Olympic size pools. A mandated inspection of the manufacturing plant in Spain was never undertaken by DDA.

On December 21, 2009 when the post-bid meeting was called, those who submitted tenders were given blank technical documents to fill up including mentioning makes of equipment. Pentair found its place in these documents. Meanwhile, the pools are still not ready.

Facing Caving Ins: Blame Utility Companies

Continuous rain in the city has led to several cave-ins across the city, with many of them being reported from the New Delhi Municipal Council areas. Sources said the roads in Lutyen’s Delhi, usually known for their quality, are crumbling due to indiscriminate digging carried out using ‘trenchless technology’ for laying underground utility pipes and cables.

‘‘Nearly 220km of utility laying work was recently carried out in the NDMC areas using the trenchless technology. In this case, cavities remain open in the earth. With water seeping in, the road gets weak and eventually gives way,’’ said an official. ‘‘In trenchless technology, various agencies have to ensure they dig to an appropriate depth at least more than 1.5 meter to ensure they do not damage the sewer and drainage pipes. But this norm is flouted.’’

In August only, portions of Jaswant Singh Road, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Rajesh Pilot Marg and Khan Market have caved-in. Explained NDMC spokesperson Anand Tiwari, ‘‘The road cave-in at Kasturba Gandhi Marg on Saturday was due to water seeping in through a cavity which was not filled up properly after a telecom company finished its work of laying wires there.’’

The other major reason for cave-in is the rotting drainage and sewer system, which dates back to the British times. According to NDMC officials, the sewer barrels in their area need to be restored immediately to avert a bigger disaster in the future. Said an official, ‘‘All the sewage barrels being encountered during construction work in CP are more than 60 years old and need to be replaced immediately. The drainage system is equally old.’’

Tiwari also blames cave-in incidents on depleting groundwater level in the area. Said Tiwari: ‘‘When it rains, the groundwater level suddenly rises and needs an outlet. This leads to the earth under the road giving way.’’

The story is similar in case of roads maintained by other agencies. Senior PWD engineers said that recently carried out utility pipeline laying work using trentchless technology was responsible for pavements and service roads caving in. ‘‘Racing against the Games deadline, utility providers took pipeline laying work on war footing. The work got completed just before the monsoon. When rain started, it caused problems,’’ said an official.

The official added poor maintenance of underground master drains, sewer and water pipelines cause more damage. ‘‘Maintenance of all such pipelines is vital. The cave-in incidents highlight how utility agencies have failed to maintain their service lines,’’ said the PWD official.

Officials added poor quality restoration of dug up stretches is also responsible for such mishaps. They admitted the agencies engaged in laying utilities simply fill the dug up portions in a haphazard manner, giving almost no time for the loose soil to settle.

One of the officials said earlier the projects requiring major digging used to take at least one year to complete. As an example he points to laying of pipelines for Sonia Vihar water plant. ‘‘But nowadays roads are cut and subsequently restored in 15 days. How can you except the soil to settle’’ asked the official.

Badarpur Flyover to Open in October

Commuters can expect permanent relief from congestion at Badarpur border from October. The under construction 4km-long flyover at the border will be opened for public in October first week.

Talking to Times City, Vinayak Deshpande, president and COO of Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), which is building the flyover, said, ‘‘We don’t want to open the elevated stretch until all work is completed. We want to open a safe flyover.’’ He added that though the deadline for the project is December 2010, the company wanted to warp it up by October 1.

In fact, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had brought it under the list of projects related to Commonwealth Games for speedy implementation of the elevated corridor. ‘‘It will be ready just ahead of the Games,’’ claimed a senior NHAI official. HCC is constructing the corridor under BOT (toll) model it will maintain and collect toll for 20 years.

The Badarpur-Faridabad six-lane elevated highway is being built at a cost of Rs 340 crore. Earlier, NHAI officials had told highway minister Kamal Nath that the two main carriageways could be made operational by August-end. However, Deshpande said it would not be desirable to open the stretch without completing the finishing work.

Responding to how the concessionaire is gearing up to manage traffic flow through the two main toll plazas, Deshpande said it would opt for electronic tolling system for non-stop traffic flow of tagged vehicles. ‘‘We will dedicate certain lanes for uninterrupted clearance of vehicles. We are considering the sale of tags at toll plazas and also at petrol pumps in the nearby region so that it becomes more popular among daily users,’’ he said.

Doping Control Center at Each Games Venues

As the countdown for the Commonwealth Games intensifies, the organizing committee (OC) is moving towards setting up one of the most important aspects of the Games the doping control centers at all the venues. These facilities, which will be set up at both competition and training venues, are of international standards and form an important
legacy after the Delhi Games 2010.

Incidentally, the anti-doping measures in place in the Delhi Games, comprising of a test distribution plan of 1,500 doping control tests, is the highest ever in any Commonwealth Games. The participating athletes from 71 CGAs shall be subjected to unannounced doping control tests, anytime and anywhere during the Games. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has enacted anti-doping standards for Delhi 2010 and these will be applicable to all athletes including para-athletes.

The OC, through its Doping Control Division, has trained more than 450 doping control officials for Delhi 2010. The selection and the training of these officials was conducted in accordance with international standards of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They were selected from many streams including doctors, sports medicine experts, physiotherapists and science graduates.

Interestingly, till date, the country had about 50 professionally-trained doping control officers who did this job. The OC and CGF shall certify and accredit the newly trained officials and leave a legacy of the services of these officials after the end of the Games, say OC officials. The Games have also seen the setting up of WADA accreditation for National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), Delhi in August 2008. The NDTL is one of the only 34 labs around the globe.

The NDTL provided its vital services during CYG Pune 2008 and test events held in 2010. The OC in collaboration with WADA will also organize anti-doping athlete outreach programme at the Commonwealth Games Village to educate the athletes and entourage during the Games.

No WC around Games Venues

With severe delays plaguing streetscaping works around CWG venues, authorities are now facing this embarrassing prospect.

The city government had contracted four firms to install street furniture like toilets, kiosks, information boards, iron chairs and benches on a BOT basis in areas around the venues.

However, the companies are still to start work since streetscaping projects are still to be completed. Wary of time constraints, the firms have been told to install at least toilets in the areas around Games venues after completion of the streetscaping works.

Roads are Caving in City But Cycle Tracks Works Starts Leading to Jams

Ongoing streetscaping work for the Commonwealth Games has made driving on the main Desh Bandhu Gupta (DBG) Road and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (SPM) Marg a nightmare for motorists as jams have become a constant feature due to bad planning and shoddy implementation of construction work. Despite strong opposition by the traffic police, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is constructing cycle tracks on the narrow roads, thereby shrinking space available for traffic. On SPM Marg, all left turns have been blocked as part of the new design defeating Delhi government’s aim of making as many stretches signal free as possible. Malba and other construction material carelessly dumped around has aggravated the situation.

On SPM Marg, the narrow road has shrunk further due to construction of cycle tracks. Furthermore, the design is such that all free left turns have been blocked with bollards and green spaces have been created at the islands. The vehicles turning left now have to wait along with the other vehicles at the main traffic signals, making the waiting time longer for all. ‘‘It used to take just five minutes to cross the road but now it takes about an hour. When left turns are being made free all over and signals are being removed, why are we moving back in time here?’’ asked Sanjay Bhargava, general secretary of Chandni Chowk traders’ association.

The cycle tracks constructed recently by the MCD have been encroached by dhabas and unauthorized parking. Though the main road, which leads to Old Delhi Railway Station, is frequented by cycle-rickshaws, even these seldom use the cycle tracks due to problems of gradient and continuity.

Even at DBG Road, one lane on either side of the main road has been taken over for construction of pavements and cycle tracks. In addition, cars parked along the road and malba and other construction material lying around has further reduced space for traffic to move. Since DBG Road is an important link between west, north Delhi and central Delhi, the heavy volume of vehicles crossing by have no space left. ‘‘It takes me over one hour just to cross 2-3 kilometers on the stretch. Cars move in one line and the entire road has been dug up,’’ said Krishna Prakash, who works at Jhandewalan.

Since the space for cycle tracks was earlier being used by vehicles for parking, the traffic police now fear that parking of vehicles will shift to one lane on the new road with reduced width, further shrinking road space. The contention of the cops is that ensuring that cycle tracks remain free of encroachment is a tough task in Delhi. ‘‘It is tough to ensure that the cycle tracks remain clear at all times. They end up eating into road space and serve little purpose as they are taken over for parking, tehbazari, etc,’’ said a traffic police officer.

MCD officials, on the other hand, contended that the project has got all the required approvals. ‘‘The streetscaping project for DBG Marg has been discussed and approved at the highest levels where police and traffic police were also present. If they had a problem with the project, the issue should have been raised then. There is no point in bringing all this up at this stage when the project is nearing completion,’’ said a MCD spokesperson.

CM’s Promised Proved to be hollow: Deadline Passed but Malba Still on roads

This is again turning out to be a hollow promise. A day before the deadline set for removing debris gets over, the government authorities are still finding it difficult to clear the city of malba(debris) dug out during various Games works.

Though officials claimed that they have already removed malba(debris) from all stretches except those where work is still on, a survey by a Times City team on Monday portrayed a completely different picture. Construction material and loose soil are still piled up on many stretches, including Vikas Marg, Ring Road (near IG stadium), NH-24, Bhairon Marg, around Connaught Place, Deshbandhu Gupta Marg, Daryaganj and Paharganj, across the city.

Under fire for the constant digging work undertaken by out-of-sync agencies, chief minister Sheila Dikshit had recently fixed August 10 as the deadline for malba(debris) removal and directed all civic agencies to strictly comply with the order. The embarrassed government also roped in a private firm.

The tough posturing seems to have worked but the agencies want deadline revised one last time. Government officials claimed that there has been significant progress with nearly 80,000 metric tonnes of debris already removed. An official release from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said that the Burari debris processing plant has received 50,000 metric tonnes of malba(debris) since the deadline was set. MCD has identified 172 sites for dumping of leftover construction material from all sites in the capital.

It further said that since the deadline for finishing of Commonwealth Games related works work has been extended to August 31, the cutoff date for complete removal of malba(debris) may be reviewed by Delhi government. Top officials in the city government also accepted that mopping up all the leftover construction material is impossible at this stage. ‘‘Already over 90% of malba(debris) has been cleared from Delhi roads. Where construction activity is still under way, you may find some debris that is generated during the work. But we are ensuring quicker removal of malba(debris) from all sites,’’ claimed PWD minister Raj Kumar Chauhan.

NDMC also made similar claims. ‘‘We have taken up the mopping-up exercise. Almost all roads have been cleared. Since work is still on in Connaught Place, everyday some debris is getting generated. We are clearing them simultaneously,’’ NDMC spokesperson said. However, what was evident from the site and from the volume of debris is that the leftover construction material has been lying there for past few days.

Meanwhile, senior officials said that usually deadlines help them to complete major portion of the pending work. ‘‘It has helped. We might be able to get everything cleared in next 15-20 days,’’ a senior official claimed.

No Comments: Says CM on CVC report

‘‘Do you want me to go to jail?’’ This was how an agitated chief minister Sheila Dikshit responded on Friday when she was repeatedly asked to comment on CVC report on corruption in Delhi government projects for the Commonwealth Games.

A day after the news of CVC probe broke and Dikshit issued gag orders on all her ministers, the CM refused to make any comments on it. Though she briefed the media about deadlines for removal of ‘‘large malba’’ and again claimed debris lying around the Games sites would be removed by August 10.

She was accompanied by four ministers and several senior officials including the chief secretary and the advisor of Commonwealth Games. PWD minister Rajkumar Chauhan whose department is handling most of the major projects where corruption has been cited was a notable exception.

The chief minister said her government had yet to receive a copy of the CVC report and hence she would not comment on it. ‘‘When the report comes, action will be taken but all this work has to be finished first,’’ she said. However on being asked where the buck stops given the serious nature of allegations and chair she holds, her irritated response was: ‘‘Do you want me to go to jail? Till now it is only something you have heard about so I will not comment on it. In government, everything has a process and if the findings are correct, we will look into the matter once the Games are over.’’

Her irritation lingered on when she was asked about finance minister A K Walia’s visit to the Yamuna Sports Complex on Wednesday after which the minister had issued a statement saying the complex which incidentally is a DDA project may not meet the deadline. ‘‘Did you hear or not the deadlines that I read out just now,’’ asked Dikshit. ‘‘We will meet them.’’

She refused to comment on media reports about how many of the equipment the health department is procuring for the Commonwealth Games are being bought at several times the market price. ‘‘I will not comment about any of this,’’ she said.

The statement that she issued talked about how the city was undergoing massive transformation when so many ‘‘mega projects’’ are being carried out simultaneously and ‘‘it is quite natural that during the execution the city has an unkempt look’’.

‘‘All agencies, especially Delhi government, is steadfast in its resolve to meet the deadline of August 31,’’ the statement read. The statement also went on to talk about how many projects like Barapullah Nullah Road and UP Link Road started late because of myriad reasons and how PWD is confident of finishing all of them ‘‘well before time in order to have sufficient time for tests and trials.’’

911 More Low Floor Buses before Games

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) told the Delhi high court that 911 more low-floor buses would be put on the road before the Commonwealth Games to address the traffic problem in the national capital.

Appearing before a division bench of Justices A K Sikri and Reva Khetrapal, DTC said it would soon introduce more than 900 buses which would increase the strength of its fleet to 6,500.

The court asked the city government to chalk out a plan to address the transport problem in the city in view of the Commonwealth Games to be held in October even as it allowed a four month extension to the government to phase-out Bluelines and replace them with its new fleet.

‘‘We have the Commonwealth Games coming in two months. Do you think from that angle? Many people would be coming to the city,’’ the court said, when senior advocate Kailash Vasudev, who is assisting the court, pointed out that government has failed to form a policy to tackle the problem of shortage of Blue line buses.

The amicus complained that by the Supreme Court order there should be minimum 10,000 buses in the city, but government has failed to increase the number of buses.

The court was hearing a matter in which it had taken suo motu cognizance following an accident involving a Blue line bus in October 2008 in which 8 people were killed at Badarpur area.

The court had directed the phase-out of Blue line buses, after which the city government launched low floor buses last year. It had also directed the city government to frame guidelines for erring drivers, bus operators and owners for violating traffic rules.

Meanwhile, HC also asked the government to place a fresh status report before it on the progress made in installing GPRS in buses as a means to check the speed at which it is being driven and to check accidents.

Games Security to be Reviewed by 31 Countries

Security heads of 31 participating nations, including Pakistan, will take stock on Thursday of the security in Commonwealth Games village and venues where a four-layer protection will be provided during the fortnight-long mega sporting event here in October.

Eight heads of state have confirmed their participation while four more are expected to attend the Commonwealth Games for which, however, no credible terror threat has come yet.

Live security demonstration will be given to the representatives of the Commonwealth countries on Thursday at the Games village at Yamuna Bank and Jawaharlal Nehru stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held. ‘‘They will be shown four-layer security procedure, how to frisk spectators, check vehicles, foil possible terror strike and rescue and evacuation drills,’’ an official said.

Over 10,000 athletes from 71 countries and 500,000 spectators are expected to take part in the Games to be held from October 3-14. According to the security plan, athletes, officials and guests can visit the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium only by bus and no VIPs, except the heads of state, will be allowed to take their cars. Parking arrangement has been made for 150 buses in the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.

Each of the 13 competition venues for the Commonwealth Games will have a tight security ring and special arrangements will be made to transport the athletes to and from the village with helicopters carrying commando snipers keeping eye on the convoys below.

This is to prevent a repeat of the Lahore attack of March 2009 in which militants shot at and injured Sri Lankan cricketers touring Pakistan. To ensure fleet security, each of the 574 vehicles used for ferrying athletes will have to undergo a mandatory anti sabotage clearance every morning before athletes board them.

MS Gill Says Everything is OK

Sports minister M S Gill rubbished media reports on Wednesday that claimed that some of the Commonwealth Games venues were incomplete and faulty.

Gill said all the venues were architectural and engineering marvels and no leakage or fault had been found at any of the Games venues.

“The fact remains that all these stadiums have no fault. There is no leakage, nothing anywhere. They are all architecture and engineering marvels which will be seen for the first time in India,” Gill told reporters outside Parliament.

“Go to Shyama Prasad Swimming complex, Nehru stadium and look at the essentials. There are no serious faults in any of the stadiums,” Gill said. There have been media reports that Talkatora stadium venue for Commonwealth boxing event, and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex, inaugurated on July 18 and billed as the best aquatic stadium by Gill himself, are incomplete.

Gill said only temporary work was left to be done and it would be carried out by the organizing committee. “We still have two months and the engineers and their workforce will take care of the remaining work. All the stadiums will be handed over to the organizing committee on August 1 and then they have to do the temporary fittings and other things,” Gill said.

“The PWD will be there everyday for fine-tuning. We will be coordinating the work. That’s all I have to say,” he said.

MCD Objects on the Layout Plan of Karni Singh Shooting Range

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) refused on Wednesday to approve the layout plan of the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range.

According to councilors, since the proposal for widening of the Shooting Range Road is stuck due to various reasons, MCD will not approve the layout plan for the stadium till the road widening matter is resolved.

Sarita Chaudhary, councilor of the area, said: ‘‘I have been demanding widening of this road for over three years now but nothing has been done. The road, which has been upgraded and improved recently, is only 20 meters wide. Since this road has a lot
of curves it can lead to accidents. As per the Master Plan-2021, this road has been demarcated as a 60-meter-wide road and I have therefore been asking officials to widen it by another 40 meters.’’

According to Chaudhary, since the ridge area falls near the shooting range, issues regarding cutting of trees had been raised.

‘‘Even if they take up widening of the road after the Games, I want this matter to be resolved before that. They might construct offices etc during the Games which could come in the way of widening the road so it is best that everything is sorted out before the layout plan is approved. I want MCD officials to demarcate the area necessary for widening of the road.’’

Said a civic official: ‘‘We will now come up with a time bound plan to resolve this matter.’’