Delhi HC judges visit controversial Commonwealth Games village site

Two judges of the Delhi High Court, A K Sikhri and Rekha Sharma, today visited the proposed Commonwealth Games Village site on the Yamuna riverbed after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by an environmentalist against the planned construction, citing the environmental damage the Village would create.

New Delhi, Jan 3 : Two judges of the Delhi High Court, A K Sikhri and Rekha Sharma, today visited the proposed Commonwealth Games Village site on the Yamuna riverbed after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by an environmentalist against the planned construction, citing the environmental damage the Village would create.

Environmentalist Vinod Jain had filed the PIL seeking a Court's direction to the Centre prohibiting development of such projects. In his PIL, Jain argued that the construction would affect the groundwater recharge and environment regeneration.

However, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) claims that it is carrying out the construction only after receiving environmental clearance.

"The DDA's stand has been to make sure that no illegality seeps into the construction process. It has environmental clearance for whatever it is doing. The authority is committed to execute the project and ensure no damage is done to the environment," said DDA counsel Rajeev Bansal.

The DDA has informed the High Court that it will build a residential complex of 1,160 flats in the Games Village to accommodate athletes coming to participate in the event in 2010.

According to environmentalists, the construction of the games village is illegal and it would contribute to clogging up the river bed and expose city dwellers to serious flooding during the monsoons.

New Delhi will host the 2010 Commonwealth Games at an estimated cost of 70 billion rupees.

ANI