Will there be Accommodation in Delhi for the Commonwealth Games?

The New Delhi Govt. has been highly critised in the media for dragging it feet on the development of Delhi Infrastructure for the recent Commonwealth Games 2010 to be held at Delhi and the constant criticism has finally woken up the Kumbhkarana.

"We are now constantly monitoring the progress of 120 infrastructure projects so as to complete them by April next year," a senior official involved in overseeing preparations for the prestigious sporting event said.

He said all the projects are on track and progressing well. "We are doing it silently. Everything will be ready well ahead of time. There is no need for any concern." Hear!! Hear!!!

He said the under-construction flyover leading to the airport will be ready by early next year.

Asked whether there will be a problem of accommodation for visitors to the national capital as developers have withdrawn from a few hotel projects, he said Haryana has decided to seize the opportunity and are working on developing guest houses and hotels.

"An alternative plan has been worked out with the Haryana government to sort out the problem of accommodation for the visitors," he said.

Delhi's loss will be Haryana's gain!

Finally Delhi Govt gets its Act Together

Apparently, security planning for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi is on track and concerns that safety fears could scupper the event are premature, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

Security around the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, due to be held from Oct. 3-14, 2010 has come under scrutiny after an attack in Mumbai in November that killed at least 171 people and this month's attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan.

It is widely anticipated that the Pakistan based terrorists will try to attack the Games.

According to The Official site the countdown has begun for the Commonwealth Games, and they have prepared a special baton called the queen's baton.

The prototype of the Queen’s Baton will be unveiled by Lt. Governor of Delhi, Shri Tejendra Khanna. The Queen’s Baton has been specially designed in a manner which is unique since it represents not only the diversity of India but also the participation of every Indian through the soil of each state of India which has been embedded on the Baton. The Baton, represents the resilient spirit of Indians, and their Prowess, in the field of technology and IT which also finds place in the Baton as it is designed to contain,

# GPS to track the Baton Movements when it travels

# Video Camera with Sound Recorder

# SMS Facility (affording instant interaction with the public)

# LED lights that will illuminate the colour of the flag of each of the 71 Commonwealth Nations through which it travels through

# Inbuilt Camera, Sound Recording Facility

# And very importantly a Gold leaf which the Queen’s Message will be inscribed on with micro calligraphy.

I hope that the Delhi Government gets its act together and prevents any untoward event during the commonwealth games in Delhi.

Development for Commonwealth Games in Delhi is Lagging behind!

Finding serious lapses on the part of the Delhi government in the preparedness for the Commonwealth Games, a parliamentary committee today said no proposals from the city government for development of infrastructure and capacity building were submitted to the Centre till November 2008.
Delhi government had not made any proposals for development of infrastructure and capacity building, including creation and renovation of hospitality facilities, modernisation of tourism sites to the Tourism Ministry till November 2008, Sitaram Yechury, chairman of the standing committee on transport, tourism and culture told reporters here after submitting the report on "development of tourism infrastructure and amenities for the commonwealth Games 2010".

The committee in its report has noted with concern that though adequate funds were available with the Tourism Ministry under infrastructure upgradation of tourism destination schemes, no such proposals were submitted by Delhi government.

"Since the 2010 Games are drawing near, so many projects have yet to be initiated, let alone completed. In such a situation, absence of any proposal from the NCT of Delhi surprised the committee," the panel noted. PTI

Tax Holiday for 5 star hotels in Delhi.

The Delhi government has been asked to extend tax holiday for all hotel categories, including five-star, specially in the national capital keeping in mind the requirements for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

In the Budget of 2007-08, five-year tax holiday was given to two, three and four star hotels (but not too 5 star hotels) and convention centres with a seating capacity of not less than 3,000 in the NCR.

"This facility needs to be extended to all categories of hotels, including five-star hotels and bed and breakfast New Delhi, so that their capacity expansion takes place at a desired speed to accommodate large number of tourists expected during 2010 games," it said.

The hotel infrastructure, specially in five-star category and the Bnb's in Delhi and NCR where majority of tourists are likely to stay, is still not taking off and therefore to speed up their capacity, five years tax holiday schemes requires to be extended, it added.

A proposal has been sent to Ministry of Finance demanding that infrastructure status for hotel industry should not be delayed any longer, since the sector is highly capital intensive.

Each five star hotel is built with capital investments, ranging from Rs 300 crore to Rs 500 crore, it said.

As per the chamber estimates, keeping in mind the requirement of hotel rooms during the games, in NCR, around 27 new hotels are coming up with about 4,900 rooms in various categories over next three to four years.

As per estimates, the Commonwealth Games in 2010 is expected to attract 50,000 foreign visitors to Delhi and about 30,000 rooms would be required to accommodate these visitors.

The National Capital Region, currently, has about 10,500 rooms and an additional 15,000 to 18,000 rooms are required to take care of the foreign tourists during the event

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi in Trouble!

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, slated to showcase the new India to the world, could be in jeopardy. On Tuesday, Austin Sealy, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation's coordination committee, warned that problems with the completion of the Games village next to the Akshardham Temple here, could threaten the Games.

"The matter is in judicial review, so I would not like to comment much on it, but if the work is not completed in time, India and New Delhi would be jeopardising their chances of hosting the Games," said Sealy. The Commonwealth Games Village site on the Yamuna riverbed is embroiled in a legal tangle in the Delhi High Court after a Public Interest Litigation said the construction would deplete groundwater.

More recently, the Delhi High Court said construction on the floodplain would be at the builders' risk. But authorities insist they have the approvals.

Sealy's statement came after a meeting of the 2010 Games organisers. These reports will be discussed by Commonwealth officials in Gambia, Africa, later this week.

"The matter is in court, but they have not issued a stay order on the construction of the village," said IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi, the organising committee chairman. "The work will continue and the court proceedings will continue.

I am highly optimistic."The commission, while "satisfied" with other stadia, said no work has started on the velodrome.

"I would suggest that no more time be lost," Sealy said.

Looks like what I have been saying in the past, read this post - Commonwealth Games Accommodation in Trouble.

Lessons from the Pune Games!

Concerns have been raised over the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi after problems at the Youth Games in Pune.

Organisation, accommodation and competition scheduling at the recent event in Western India were criticised.

"If they apply the lessons learned in Pune, they will have a very good Games," Jamaican team leader Denise Forrest told BBC Sport.

"If the lessons have not been transferred to New Delhi, it may not be all we expect."

Rats were found in some of the accommodation in Pune and one of the main hotels which housed athletes was unfinished when the event began.

Athletes and media had problems gaining accreditation and the schedule of events did not run to time and was subject to late changes.

The organising committee which presided over events in Pune will again be in charge of arrangements for the 2010 Games in the Indian capital.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will be held in Delhi.

It seems the same committee will look after the Commonwealth games in Delhi in 2010 - we hope they have learnt the lessons from their debacle and will improve from the conditions.

The participants in the recently concluded Pune Commonwelath Youth Games have critised the management of shabby lodging and rats.

These games are a run up and a trial event to the Commonwealth Games 2010 to be held in Delhi.

Yamuna's Woes - Commonwealth Games Village in Delhi

The 118 acre Commonwealth Games village is under construction on the floodplains of the Yamuna, in spite of warnings that the construction will endanger lives.

According to experts "Any construction, especially a multi-storey construction on the riverbed is an invitation to disaster. It is like a deathtrap."

The Yamuna has a history of flooding. It’s the floodplain that acts as a buffer and prevents flooding in populated areas. Construction there would also mean a reduction in groundwater levels, worsening Delhi's drinking water crisis.

Ecologist, MC Mehta informs, "The groundwater situation in Delhi is so critical that some of the blocks in Delhi have been declared as critical areas or dark spots. Saline water has also started coming in because there is no sweet water, so where is the water?"

Adding to that is the fact the Yamuna flood-plains also sit on a seismically active area. Manoj Mishra tells us, “There is a seismic map of Delhi. It's the river bed that sits on the fault line."

Experts say that suggestions for alternative sites such as the unused Safdarjung aerodrome or the already-standing Jasola Sports Complex have been ignored by the Delhi Government.

Hydrology expert, IIT Delhi, Prof AK Gosain says, "There are a lot of possible sites in and around Delhi. I don't think that the concerned authorities have really looked at any of those alternative proposals and sites. On the contrary, they have suggested that the most dangerous one on the floodplains of the Yamuna."

But Sheila Dixit rejects all criticism. She says, “Show me another city in the world, which has not developed its riverbanks. Development has to take place.”

The Commonwealth Games Federation now seems wary of Delhi Government's assurances.

CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation, Mike Hooper remarked, "We can only rely on the assurances that we are given. If those assurances subsequently proved to be inaccurate, they would be of concern."

Despite no approvals for constructing a games village on the site and with all the experts clearly pointing to how dangerous the construction can be, the government insists on continuing the construction work.

The games Village is going to be used only for the 2-4 weeks during the commonwealth games and after that it will continue to be a cement waste land causing un-told problems for Delhites.

Spanner in the works For Delhi Accommodation!

Not many days left for the Commonwealth Games is Delhi, yet there is no sign of any progress made at the Games Village site on the eastern side of the Yamuna.

A string of court cases and one controversy after another have slowed the pace of construction of residential and commercial units at the site. There hasn’t been any buzz about an alternative site.

After resolving a row with the Akshardham Temple authorities, who had objected to the upcoming construction on the two proposed sites adjacent to the shrine, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has now been up against the green buffs.
The environmentalists, under the banner of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan (YJA) of Magsaysay Award winner Rajinder Singh, had filed a writ petition in the court against the proposed Games Village.

The move has brought the project to a near-halt.

If the court rejects the DDA’s claims at the eleventh hour, there won’t be enough time left to shift to another site. To top it up, neither the DDA nor the planners have identified alternative sites.

Last month saw four hearings involving the DDA and YJA, with the fifth one coming up on Tuesday.

The DDA has other worries, too. On Monday, the infrastructure coordination committee will assess the state of work and there is not enough to show except for some piling work.


What about an alternative site? “Where is the time for that? Even if we identify a site today, it will take three months to publicise the land use change and another six months to acquire environmental clearance. Three more months will go into designing the new site plan. Can a Games Village be constructed in a year? The deadline to wrap up construction is December 2009,” he said.

Taking a dig at the environmentalists, the engineer asked, “Where were they when the Games Village site was decided in 2003? Why are they here four years later in 2007?’’
Environmental activists have pitched the protest tent near the site citing that the constructions would harm the fragile ecology of the Yamuna.

“Did the DDA do anything before October 2006? They went to the ministry of environment and forests for approval of the plan not before October last year. It was rejected outright in November and they were told in December to go for temporary structures if there was no other option,” YJA convenor Manoj Mishra said.

“No one knows what occurred between December 2006 and April 2007. Why did the environment ministry give in to pressure from the DDA and the urban development ministry and allowed construction of highrises on the river bed?” he asked.
A.K. Gosain, the IIT Delhi professor who is a member of the expert appraisal committee that rejected the site, said: “It violates the basic regulations of wetlands and floodplains.’’ Gosain has quit the committee.


So all is set for a major chaos for accommodation for the Commonwealth games in Delhi 2010.

India, especially the Delhi government has to wake up to the fact that they cannot construct anything in the vicinity of Yamuna - given its fragile eco-system.

Hotel promotion by Delhi Govt - is it an eye wash?

The Delhi tourism ministry is going to form a panel to suggest measures to increase the availability of hotel rooms before the 2010 Commonwealth Games,which will be held here.

Based on the report of the panel, the ministry will come out with schemes. The government is expecting one-lakh visitors at the games.

“The whole focus is to create additional accommodation in Delhi facilities and ensure that there is enough room for all. Besides, short supply has been driving up room rates, which we need to counter,” a senior tourism ministry official said.

At present, there are only about 11,000 rooms in star-category hotels in the National Capital Region, against the ministry’s estimate of 30,000 more rooms during the games.

The official said that going by the present trend, only 2,000 more rooms would be available.

The government has given a five-year tax holiday to two-, three- and four-star hotels and convention centres in Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad.

Besides, upgradation and renovation of existing hotel rooms will be done, the official said.

Attaching high priority to the safety of players and tourists, the government has decided to train 30,000 volunteers.

The ministry has also introduced a short training scheme to sensitise the youth.

The ministry has also requested the hotels to upgrade the infrastructure and be ready for the games, the official said, adding that the Haryana government is in the process of upgrading the tourism complexes run by its tourism department.


That all said, is the Govt. serious about the above or it is just guestimating the numbers. This year due to the THE BIG SQUEEZE or THE CREDIT CRUNCH - call it what you may - the number of tourists are down and travel industry is facing empty rooms in its peak season.

I think this will be a big humbug and the usual Govt. apathy will result in small businees owners losing out while the big GUNS like real estate tycoons with hoardes of money will benefit from the tax incentives.

Infrastructure renovation for Commonwealth Games in Delhi

Delhi govt. is introducing plenty of measures to look into the problem of accommodation in Delhi for Commonwealth games that is staring it into the eye, by making a number of changes to the Delhi skyline.


A new state-of-the-art Games Village is being built by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) with a focus on maximising athlete comfort. The village will be developed along the east bank of the River Yamuna. The site is off the National Highway 24 adjacent to the Akshardham temple at the Noida intersection.

Exceeding CGF requirements, the Village will translate traditional Indian hospitality into standards of comfort & excellence never seen before by participating teams. To be created at a cost of USD 230.7 million (including Residential Zone), the Games Village will be spread over an area of 63.5 hectare (158.4 acre).

Within its immediate vicinity exist internationally known monuments and landmarks like the Bahai Temple, Humayun’s Tomb, Akshardham Temple etc. Surrounded with a dense green natural cover, the Village will provide a relaxing and soothing environment for the athletes and officials.

Delhi govt. is also planning to increase the number of Bed and Breakfast Delhi, India - so as to provide a short term fix to the tourist influx that is expected to occur in 2010.