Magsaysay Award winner seeks Games Village demolition (The Pioneer 23 September 2010)

Almost a year after the Supreme Court held that the Commonwealth Games Village was not constructed on Yamuna's riverbed, noted environmentalist and Magsaysay Award winner Rajender Singh has yet again sought a review of the order claiming that the Games Village should be demolished to save Yamuna's ecosystem.While heavy rains in parts of north India have caused Yamuna to flow above the danger mark, this has given Singh a perfect opportunity to click pictures of the Games site to suggest that the Village along with concrete structures were situated on Yamuna's riverbed and flood plain.The Supreme Court order of July 30, 2009 had refused to accept the case of the petitioner (Rajender Singh and others) that the constructions made by Delhi Development Authority and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation should be demolished as it stood on flood plain area. This would adversely affect the recharging of water causing harm to Yamuna's ecosystem, he had said.Finding fault in the SC decision, the review petition filed by advocate Anitha Shenoy stated, "The decision to construct flats in the riverbed/flood plain was illegal, wrong and has damaged the environment. It has created umpteen problems for the people of Delhi, including the water problem."Supporting its claim with the Expert Appraisal Committee report of Union Environment Ministry, the environment impact assessment report prepared by DDA, and the NEERI reports of 1999 and 2005, the petition said, "An exhaustive survey of different zones of the Yamuna found that the site in question falls within riverbed."The petitioner has annexed photographs of the Yamuna in spate to suggest, "It is an established fact that what is encroached upon by CWG Village and DMRC is riverbed/flood plain." Due to the huge embankment, water has entered jhuggies, colonies and villages in low-lying areas in the Capital and surrounding places. It is argued if the 2009 verdict was allowed to stand, "it will justify all constructions on the riverbed and will destroy the river and its rich ecosystems."Seeking permission to list the matter in open court, the petition has further urged the Court to consider sending a team of experts to visit the site and direct appointment of expert committee to submit report on the "true scientific assessment" of the river, its riverbed and flood plain, and the damage caused to it due to the constructions. BJP wants PM to step inPNS New Delhi: Charging the Organising Committee, the Central and the Delhi Governments with adopting a 'casual and careless approach' to the CWG Games, the BJP on Wednesday demanded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take a 'personal interest' in hosting the Games successfully. "The GoM, the Government of India and the Delhi Government cannot escape from their failures and accountability. The Prime Minister should step in and assure the nation that everything will be done timely," senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said, while addressing the media.He said the BJP wanted the Games to be a success and was against playing politics over CWG, the biddings for which were won after much effort during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime.Expressing concern over the collapse of an under-construction overbridge at the JLN stadium, Jama Masjid firing incident, complaints of CWG Federation president Michael Fennel, collapse of the false ceiling of a weightlifting arena, Naidu said that such events were sending a "wrong signal to the international community".All loopholes will be plugged: CongPNS New Delhi: Embarrassed over the controversies surrounding the Commonwealth Games, the Congress on Wednesday said all possible steps would be taken to plug the lacunae and hold the Games successfully."We are deeply concerned. Unfortunate things have happened," admitted Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi when asked about the collapse of an under-construction foot-overbridge, a false ceiling falling apart at a Games venue and criticism over cleanliness at the Games Village."If there is culpability and allegations, it will be looked into. But now, we have to show to the world that India can hold a successful Commonwealth Games as national honour, pride and prestige is at stake," he said.He, however, parried questions regarding responsibility of PM Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit for holding the Games successfully as the party has been in power in Delhi for over a decade and at the Centre for the last over six years.