Games to pave way for Olympics

RESHAPING DELHI PART III

Along with the beautification and upgrade of infrastructure in the Capital, the Commonwealth Games will also lead to the creation of more sports infrastructure, which will probably exceed that created during the Asian Games in 1982.

As part of this, 15 stadiums will be made available for the games, of which six will be new. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Delhi government will be investing more than Rs 1,300 crore for upgrades and constructions.

The SAI will be investing around Rs 1,000 crore for upgrade and construction of Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium (JLNS), National Stadium, a velodrome at the Indira Gandhi sports complex and the Karni Singh Shooting Range at Manesar, 60 km from the Games Village.

The SAI will construct three stadiums for lawn bowling (a Commonwealth game that is being introduced in India for the first time) and weightlifting at JLNS and a wrestling stadium at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex.

Each stadium will have a capacity of around 5,000 except for JLNS, the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics, which will have a capacity of 75,000 spectators.

JLNS would also get a roof, an SAI official said. In addition, the stadium will have an anti-doping centre, 600 beds and a multi-level parking lot.

A Delhi government official said, "We will be upgrading the infrastructure and stadiums, not only for the Commonwealth Games but for future use also."

New Delhi is also bidding for the 2014 Asian Games and may even bid for the 2016 Olympics.

The official added that the boxing stadium at Talkatora Indoor stadium would be upgraded. The swimming stadium will be upgraded to seat 10,000 spectators, up from the current capacity of 6,000.

"The Shivaji Stadium, which will be used as a practice and training venue, will be upgraded with new turf and underground parking at a cost of Rs 30-40 crore," an NDMC official added.

New stadiums will also come up for badminton, squash, table tennis, rugby and aquatics.

The Delhi Development Authority will be constructing the table tennis stadium at the Yamuna Sports Complex while the venue for net ball will be the Tyagaraja Sports Complex, to be developed by the Public Works Department.

The DDA is also in the process of constructing a Games Village spread over 63.5 hectares at the Noida Mor adjacent to Akshardham Temple in East Delhi.

The executive board of Delhi 2010 has proposed that residential accommodation for sports persons at all the sport complexes should be done for better use of the sports infrastructure round the year.

A Committee of Secretaries will also discuss the potential of Yamuna River Front project and its channelisation along the river bank.

The state government has proposed to relocate some stadiums on the west side while the east side will be used for commercial and recreational purposes.

The government may set up a Yamuna River Front Development Authority under the Delhi Development Authority.

The government is also planning to construct three storage dams in Himalayas.

The government is also of the view that the development of Delhi around Yamuna be given to an internationally reputed consultant.

The state government has also solved the dispute between SAI and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation over the shifting of metro station along the Central Secretariat-Badarpur line further from JLNS, the key venue of the games. DMRC has agreed to construct a station at Central Government Office complex.

Water from the dams will be stored during monsoon and will be released so that it does not stagnate and can be used for drinking purpose. Three dug-hole reservoirs will also be made in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.