'Common wealth' down the drain

Stadiums, roads waterlogged; former minister launches tirade

In the most scathing criticism of the Commonwealth Games, former sports minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Tuesday said he would be sad if the mega sporting event was organised successfully.


A view of traffic jam in Connaught place in New Delhi. On Tuesday traffic
police introduced new diversions in the area to facilitate Commonwealth
Games projects and beautification drive. PIC/IMTIYAZ KHAN

"I will be very unhappy if the Games are successful because then they (the organisers) will start claiming to host Asian Games, Olympic Games and all these," he said, pointing out that all those who are wishing well for the games are "evil".u00a0

The Rajya Sabha MP was replying to the queries of journalists about the Games, which will be held in the national capital from October 3-14.

Aiyar took the sheen off what the organisers claimed was a big success by taking over possession of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday. The former diplomat also expressed his happiness over the rains, which have hampered the progress of works related to the Games. Calling it a "useless expenditure", Aiyar also stated that the whopping Rs 35,000 crore which has been spent on the event should have gone for the welfare of children.

"Thousands of crores are being spent on circuses like these while the common children are being deprived of basic facilities to play in their locality," he added.
Later in the day Aiyar found a larger audience for his criticism at a press conference organised at the Press Club of India in the Capital.

"What is the need of installing condom vending machines in the sports venues and Games village when the athletes would not be coming along with their spouses," he asked, calling the process a 'sickening' concept.u00a0

Traffic Tuesday
Delhiites remained stranded for hours on city roads following a downpour, which resulted in waterlogging and huge pileup of vehicles on the streets. The worst affected area was central Delhi as traffic in Connaught Place had been diverted by the local administration to facilitate the Games work.
Others areas, including Ring Road, Old Delhi roads and ITO, Lajpat Nagar to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bawana, Moti Bagh, Madhuban Chowk to Maharani Bagh, Shadipur-Patel Nagar and outer circle of Connaught Place witnessed serpentine traffic jams throughout the day withvehicles moving at snail's pace. The MCD received 25 complaints of waterlogging due to rain, one complaint of falling of trees/tree parts and two complaints of falling of building portions/parts on Tuesday afternoon. The Walled City and areas in and around Civil Lines were badly hit from where seven incidents were reported.

Waterlogged stadiums
Heavy downpour in the national capital caused traffic jams across the city. Jawaharlal Stadium- main venue for the games- which was officially handed over to the CWG Organising Committee (OC) also witnessed waterlogging both inside and outside the stadium. Interestingly, when chief minister Sheila Dikshit reached the venue, she was greeted with sweepers mopping off the water from the floor near the entrance of the stadium.
Another CWG venue Talkatora Stadium also punched holes into the claims of the organisers regarding the preparedness for the Games.
A swimmer preparing for the Games injured her leg when her foot was stuck in the drain cover of the pool. "Perhaps the tile on the pool cover was broken. Just before getting into the water the swimmer's foot got stuck into the tile which had a layer of loose sand beneath it," said an official on condition of anonymity.u00a0
But Delhi's chief minister Sheila Dikshit was evasive, saying such small incidents keep happening at such times.

CWG brand ambassadors named
The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee on Tuesday announced the names of its brand ambassadors. Abhinav Bindra the sole Olympic gold medal winner for the country in 10-metre rifle shooting was followed by world number two badminton champion Saina Nehwal, the top athlete of 2006 Commonwealth Games Samresh Jung and Olympic bronze medallist in boxing Vijendra Singh. Another Olympian wrestler Sushil Kumar and four time world boxing champion MC Mary Kom were also named as brand ambassadors for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.