SOME IMPORTANT POINTS OF COMMONWEALTH GAMES.

Watch C'wealth Games Opening And Closing Ceremonies In Giant Screens

By Yash, Section CommonWealth Games 2010

Posted on Mon Jul 05, 2010 at 01:55:10 AM EST

Organising Committee gives green signal to floating giant screens above Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to broadcast opening and closing ceremonies
If you haven't managed to get tickets or passes to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games, do not fret. Just look up. No, divinity has nothing to do with it. You can thank the CWG Organising Committee instead, which has approved the idea of suspending four giant screens above the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium for live telecast of these events.


Each screen will be kept hanging with the help of an 80-metre-long by 60-metre-wide balloon and these will be visible from all sides of the stadium. According to sources the balloons, which will be procured from Europe, would be full of Helium gas keeping them afloat.

The balloons would be tied to the ground with a 40-metre-long rope each. This is a first of its kind attempt in the country.

The screens will air the events directly from the ground, including a laser show among amidst other programmes. Plans to beautify the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium are also going ahead with urgency and the organising committee has planned to give the entire stadium the shape of a crown with special lighting arrangements.

In fact Rs 14 crore is being spent only on illuminating the stadium to give it a state-of-the-art look. The opening and closing ceremonies will begin at 5:30 pm on October 3 and 14 respectively and the lighting arrangements have been planned specifically for the nights when all the bulbs would be kept lit for the entire period of the Games.

Meanwhile, a 150-metre tunnel is being constructed at the stadium, which will open up at its centre. The tunnel connecting both ends of the stadium will be used by performers to enter the ground during the ceremonies.

Source: Mid-Day Watch C'wealth Games in giant screens

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Tea-Totaller Means A Drunk?

By ugesh sarkar, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Sun Jul 04, 2010 at 11:52:27 PM EST

Those visiting Delhi for the Commonwealth Games may get an opportunity to get drunk on tea.
Toklai Experimental Station (TES) in Assam's Jorhat, the world's oldest and biggest tea research institute and a part of Tea Research Association (TRA) of India, is all set to display its tea wine and tea vodka to foreign delegates during the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
The products will, however, be marketed in June next year.

Mridul Hazarika, director of TES, said: "We are planning to display the drinks during the Commonwealth Games, which will be attended by lakhs of foreign delegates. It will be a good opportunity to get feedback and also help us make the drinks successful in the global market."

Lalit Bhanot, spokesman of Commonwealth Games organizing committee, however, said he was still waiting to get a proposal from TES.

WHAT IS TEA WINE?
Some years ago, Japan made its own version of tea wine, which was actually wine mixed with tea.

"But in our case, we ferment tea to produce wine. It will have more anti-oxidants than normal wine," said a senior TES official.

Tea vodka is made by mixing fermented tea with vodka.

Magandeep Singh, a sommelier said: "I can't quite imagine what the taste of tea wine would be like but it certainly would be interesting to try."

Wine expert Bhaichand Patel however was not ready to accept the drink as wine. "Grapes are the only base of wine."

subhendu.ray@hindustantimes.com

Source: Hindustan Times By Subhendu Ray Tea-totaller means a drunk?

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Commonwealth Games: Haryana To Offer Camping Sites

By Yash, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Sun Jul 04, 2010 at 01:37:19 AM EST

The Haryana government is in the process of setting up tented accommodations in Faridabad for the visitors during the Commonwealth Games in October.
"It will be for the first time that visitors from across the world can enjoy luxury of tents and that too in Surajkund, close to Delhi," said S.N. Rai, managing director, Haryana tourism corporation.

"I believe the tents will be given preference by the visitors during the Commonwealth Games," Rai said, adding, "tented accommodation will also be set up in Dundahera."

The project is coming up on a public-private-partnership basis. The tourism department of Haryana had recently invited applications from private companies interested in setting up and running five camping sites at Surajkund in Faridabad, Hodal in Palwal, Dundahera and Damdama in Gurgaon and Dharuhera in Rewari.

"The response from the private companies has been overwhelming. We will soon decide which company will get what site," Rai said.

prabhu.razdan@hindustantimes.com

Source: Hindustan Times By Prabhu Razdan Commonwealth Games: Haryana To Offer Camping Sites

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Wet, wet, wet: Late Monsoon Dampens Games Buzz

By akansha, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Sat Jul 03, 2010 at 12:01:47 AM EST


The Indira Gandhi complex will host cycling, gymnastics and wrestling. It has met the handover deadline but still has landscaping to be done.
The annual rainy season is so important to the Indian economy that the government has developed supercomputers devoted to monsoon forecasting.

This year, however, the heavy rains are running late.

According to Ajit Tyagi, director-general of the Meteorological Department, the computers are predicting a high possibility of rain in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games in October.

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the RK Khanna Tennis Stadium, the Delhi University rugby sevens stadium and the hockey national stadium are all open-air venues. Several running and cycling events will be held on roads. A series of outdoor public events to coincide with Delhi's much anticipated sporting extravaganza could also be affected by the weather.

Organisers put on a brave face about the forecast. ''The weather gods are not in our control, so we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed,'' Delhi's chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, said.

But as anyone who lives in Delhi knows, flash flooding and traffic gridlock caused by monsoonal downpours often cause havoc in the city.

The Delhi Commonwealth Games are three months away, three crucial venues are still not ready and construction rubble is piled across the city.

But organisers are as unperturbed by the pace of construction as by the weather forecasts.

The Commonwealth Games Federation, which expressed grave concerns over Delhi's preparations late last year, is now much more positive.

''We have given out brickbats when they have been deserved on the progress of the venues but perhaps its time to give out a bouquet because we are really impressed by the amount of work that has been done in the past coupled of months,'' Mike Hooper, the chief executive of the federation told the Herald. ''We are pretty happy with the progress.''

Late rains could upset some Commonwealth Games events, writes Matt Wade

Source: smh.com.au Wet, wet, wet: late monsoon dampens Games buzz

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L-G Wants Nehru Place Plaza To Get Games Facelift, DDA On The Job

By akansha, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Fri Jul 02, 2010 at 12:47:39 AM EST

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has been directed by the Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna to undertake a full-scale refurbishment of the Nehru Place Plaza in time for the Commonwealth Games.
The plaza was built by the DDA in the 1980's in their typically dull architectural style. Today, the plaza is not only an eyesore but also an impossibly complex structure to navigate through. The paint peeled off long ago, nearly all the walls are covered with spit stains, and the lingering smell of ammonia in endless nooks and crannies is a clear indication of the degradation that the once proud structure has undergone. Now, with the Commonwealth Games just around the bend, the DDA is in a race to upgrade the plaza.

DDA engineers revealed that "tenders are being invited for various works such as changing tiles, dense carpeting, painting, whitewashing and changing broken windows among other things". With a September 15 deadline for the upgrade, the DDA engineers are hoping to complete the process of awarding tenders by July 15. "Two months is not enough time to upgrade a structure as large as the plaza, but we have been instructed to complete works before the Games. Hopefully, we'll finish at least the major facade upgrades by then," said DDA engineer.

Another engineer said the estimate for the works was prepared in a hurried fashion. "We were told by our head office to quickly prepare the estimates shortly after the plan was proposed. So, we have made the estimate and sent it. It remains to be seen whether the plans will be completed as per the budget," he said.

The task of greening the plaza is likely to be undertaken by the DDA's horticulture wing. Meanwhile, another detailed proposal is underway where the L-G's office has proposed a complete "remodeling" of the structure. A special team has been invited from Barcelona in Spain to advise the DDA about this plan. "It is still in the planning stages and will be undertaken at a later stage," said a senior DDA official.

Source: The Indian Express By Mandakini Gahlot L-G wants Nehru Place Plaza to get Games facelift, DDA on the job

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Delhi Divided, Ministers Now Have Their Own Areas To Look After

By sakshi sinha, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Wed Jun 30, 2010 at 11:43:26 PM EST

All Cabinet ministers in Delhi have been asked to watch their terrain and ensure there are no lapses during the Commonwealth Games.
In an informal meeting convened by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday all ministers were warned that the smallest oversight can lead to major embarrassment during the Games.

"Her main concern was that the deadlines for several projects that are already stretched thin should be met at all cost. Another reason for asking us to oversee work is that she does not want aesthetics of projects compromised in the last-minute rush," said a minister.

Ministers have, therefore, been asked to take charge of parts of the city they live in.

Education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely has been told to monitor progress at the Games Village and Yamuna Sports Complex, which has faced a lot of flak due to the delays and also for its design. The project has been undertaken by the Delhi Development Authority.

Source: The Indian Express Delhi divided, ministers now have their own areas to look after

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Delhi 2010 Upbeat Despite Missed Deadline

By Yash, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Wed Jun 30, 2010 at 11:14:35 PM EST


ndian labourers pave the area outside the Commonwealth Games cycling velodrome in New Delhi
Organisers of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October have struck an upbeat note over widely criticised preparations for the event despite yet another key deadline being missed on Wednesday.
The date for venues to be handed over to the organising committee by city authorities slipped three times and was still not fully met by the final deadline of June 30.

Three major facilities -- the main stadium, the swimming complex and the athletes' village -- are still not ready for Games officials to move in and begin installing complex operational equipment.

"It would have been nice to have had access to the venues earlier and we made no secret of that," Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper told AFP.

"But the basic requirement of venue construction needed by June 30 has now been achieved. Maybe just a week more is needed."

Source: AFP By Kuldip Lal Delhi 2010 upbeat despite missed deadline

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Boxers Not Thrilled With Training Facilities For CWG

By Yash, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Wed Jun 30, 2010 at 10:44:09 PM EST

The Indian boxers who will be representing the country in the Commonwealth Games in October and the Asian Games at Guangzhou in November gave mixed reactions on Tuesday on their preparation. While all of them said preparations were moving in the right direction, they felt things could have been better had the facilities been better.
"All of us are training hard for the two Games and hope to do well for the country. What I am concerned about is the place where we are training in Patiala, it does not even have air conditioners and it is tough to train in this hot weather," said boxer Vijender Kumar on the sidelines of an event organised by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Samsung.

However, there were some who said things were improving.

"A few years ago, we did not even have proper training shoes. Compared to that, things have improved with sponsors coming forward to support us," said boxer Akhil Kumar. Other sportspersons who were present were wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Ramesh Kumar, who are among the 10 chosen by Samsung for scholarships for training.

Sushil and Ramesh were happy with their preparation but refused to comment on the progress at the Games' venues.

Source: Hindustan Times Boxers not thrilled with training facilities for CWG

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Air Quality Monitoring System For CWG By July-End But Still Hard To Ensure A Pollution-Free Event

By sakshi sinha, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Wed Jun 30, 2010 at 09:56:59 PM EST

By July-end the air quality monitoring system developed for the Commonwealth Games will start providing real time pollution data at 11 key locations in the city and will continue to do so till long after the Oct 3-14 mega event is over.
Scientists from the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) are in the process of installing air quality monitoring stations at the 11 locations near the Games village and venues.

The air quality stations will provide information on level of pollution within a four-kilometre radius on an hourly basis and forecast about air quality 24 hours in advance through wireless colour digital display panels which will be installed in various parts of the capital.

The monitoring stations are part of the System of Air Pollution Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) developed by the IITM at a cost of Rs.100 million ($2 million).

'The system will tell us about the quality of air at any given moment and also what it will be 24 hours later, thus alerting people and helping them avoid immediate exposure to unhealthy air,' Gufran Beig, SAFAR scientist and project director, said.

The IITM has already started receiving data from air quality monitoring stations installed at the Palam meteorological office near the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the IITM office in West Delhi and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) in Noida on the national capital's outskirts.

At eight other places Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex, Thyagaraj Sports Complex, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Dr. S.P. Mukherjee Swimming Stadium, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Siri Fort Sports Complex and Yamuna Sports Complex it will be operational by the end of July.

Source: sify.com Air quality monitoring system for Commonwealth Games by July-end

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All Games Projects To Be Completed By July 15: MCD

By sakshi sinha, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Wed Jun 30, 2010 at 09:46:43 PM EST

All projects related to the Commonwealth Games, including the face-lift and landscaping of roads, will be completed by mid-July, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said Wednesday.
'The works related to the Games entrusted to the MCD will be over by July 15. The civic body is giving top priority to the Games projects,' Municipal Commissioner K.S Mehra said in the MCD standing committee meeting.

The responsibilities entrusted to MCD as part of the Games like the face-lift of 36 major roads, landscaping of roads leading to stadia, venues and the training centre is almost complete.

'Certain re-development works are pending as other agencies like BSES, North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) are carrying out cable work on the same lanes and roads. Due to this, the civic body's work is getting interrupted, but within 10 days the entire beautification work will be done,' Mehra ensured.

The corporation faced many challenges in the upgradation work carried out in Karol Bagh and Paharganj, but the work is on the verge of completion. The civic body has asked the concerned cable operators to seal their cables underground as they spoil the city's skyline.

'If the concerned officials are not taking immediate action on the hanging cables, their connection will be cut,' Mehra said.

Besides, work on 815 water-less urinals being constructed across the city is also progressing at a fast pace, he added.

Source: sify.com All Games projects to be completed by July 15: MCD

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Many Parking Plans, But Cars Still Stuck On Delhi Roads

By akansha, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Wed Jun 30, 2010 at 12:50:53 AM EST


Civic agencies say projects will ease parking chaos, but many yet to see light of day. Priyanka Singh surveys the status
The two premier civic agencies of the Capital, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), claim the city's traffic menace would be reduced once their multi-level, automated, underground and stack parking projects are ready. While a few projects seems to be rolling out at a normal pace and have overcome administrative glitches, others are still lagging behind.

Apart from the multi-level parking projects at Mandalia Chowk (MCD), Ramlila Maidan (MCD), Baba Kharak Singh Marg (NDMC) and Sarojini Nagar (NDMC), others are still in the pipeline awaiting approval or are currently under evaluation. According to the civic agency officials, the delays are due to either the bids not matching the MCD's parameters and being reconsidered, or the projects getting stuck due to land hassles, litigation and environmental issues.

MCD projects
There are approximately 150 parking sites in Delhi. According to Deep Mathur, Public Relations Officer of the MCD: "The MCD has identified 15 sites for developing multi-level automated parking lots. The project at M-Block market in Greater Kailash-I is being processed for awarding of the contract. Tenders for the projects at South Extension Part I and II, Rani Bagh, Defence Colony, Shastri Park, Karol Bagh and Lajpat Nagar are in the process of either evaluation or approval." All proposed projects will be through public-private partnerships.

Source: The Indian Express By Priyanka Singh Many parking plans, but cars still stuck on Delhi roads

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Fate Of MCD Food Court For C'wealth Games Uncertain

By ugesh sarkar, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Tue Jun 29, 2010 at 10:27:29 PM EST

The fate of the food court announced by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in the Outer Circle of Connaught Place for the Commonwealth Games tourists is hanging in the balance, as the project is facing a legal hurdle. With barely 100 days to go before the Games, the civic agency has still not kicked off the construction of the food plaza planned to offer the delicacies of Delhi and India.
According to the officials, the MCD does not have the right to undertake any construction activity in the area. "The matter is still under consideration. The court has given the possession of the property to the MCD, but the civic body has no right to construct anything in the area," said Deep Mathur, spokesperson of the MCD. The property at Minto Road earlier housed a restaurant called Cup & Saucer.

The previous owner of the property moved the court after the MCD, in accordance with the High Court orders, took the possession of the property in January. "We will have to wait till the court gives its order," Mathur said.

Considering that there are just 100 days left for the Games, there is no possibility of shifting the location of the food court. The site was considered as a prime location for the food plaza because of its closeness to New Delhi Railway Station and ITO. The civic body had made elaborate plans for the food court, which included the allocation of stalls to reputed brands offering international cuisine.

Source: www.fnbnews.com Fate of MCD food court for C'wealth Games uncertain

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Delhi Set To Launch Helpline For Tourists

By ugesh sarkar, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Tue Jun 29, 2010 at 03:03:48 AM EST

To give tourists visiting the capital during the Commonwealth Games-2010 a helping hand in dealing with harassment of any kind or to provide information about various things, the Delhi government is coming up with a 24-hour helpline.
The helpline is likely to have the number 111.
According to government officials, the helpline will not only be of help when tourists face problems at the hands of a tout or an autorickshaw driver, it will also help the person in question get a fair idea about the Games venues, places where he can find accommodation, information about cultural programmes and other related information.

A request has been made to the authorities concerned to allot the number 111 as the helpline number as it is easy to remember and dial. The helpline will also disseminate information about various departments of the city government, as well as about its e-governance programmes.

The information technology department, which is working on the project, is hoping to make the helpline operational in time for the Games.
The tendering process has already been set in motion and a good response during the pre-tendering meeting has made the department hopeful of successful launch of the helpline by early October when the Games begin.




Commonwealth Games Projects Lag Behind Schedule And Are Likely To Miss Their Deadlines

By akansha, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Tue Jun 29, 2010 at 02:13:27 AM EST

Even as the Delhi administration and civic bodies rush to complete all Commonwealth Games projects in time for the mega event, Newsline takes a look at some of the much-hyped projects that are likely to miss their deadlines.


1. CONNAUGHT PLACE Developer: New Delhi Municipal Council While NDMC will complete facade restoration work of all the blocks in CP , it has decided to stop work on the Middle Circle that remains completely dug up. It will be taken up and completed after the Games. Other work like underground service ducts, centralised air-conditioning system and construction of underground parking spaces will also be taken up after the Games.



2. ELEVATED ROAD ON BARAPULLAH NALLAH Developer: Public Works Department The project, which will provide non-stop connectivity between the Ring Road near Sarai Kale Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to over 10,000 players during the Games, missed its June 2009 deadline. The deadline was renewed to May 2010 and extended till midAugust. Work on two junctions on the corridor is yet to begin.



3. RANI JHANSI ROAD GRADE SEPARATOR Developer: Municipal Corporation of Delhi It took the MCD over 10 years to finally start work on the 1.7-km grade separator in September 2009. The civic agency says only a section of it will be ready for the Games, citing disputes over acquisition of land between vari ous government authorities. The four-lane grade separator, to cost Rs 177 crore, will begin at Filmistan Cinema and extend till St Stephen's Hospital, thus reducing the traffic chaos on the stretch.



4. AKSHARDHAM FLYOVER Developer:Delhi Development Authority The Akshardham Setu that will make NH-24 signal free was one of the first Games projects that succumbed to poor planning and delays. With an initial deadline of June 2009, the project will not see the light of the day before Games.

The delay, officials say, was caused due to the late handing over of the land along the UP Link Road by the UP government. The DDA had also planned three cloverleaf flyovers and three slip roads to integrate them with the existing flyover.



5. U P LINK ROAD Developer: Public Works Department Once complete, the road will provide signal-free connectivity from the Games Village till Noida. With an initial deadline of June 2009, work on the Rs 334-crore project began only late last year. The new deadline was May 2010. Officials blamed the delay on the "tussle between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments over the 21-acre land used for the project".

TEXT: AYESHA ARVIND PHOTOS: PREM NATH PANDEY

Source: The Indian Express DUG-UP DELHI: MISSING THE POINT

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Construction Delays Effected Games' Security

By sakshi sinha, Section CommonWealth Games 2010
Posted on Tue Jun 29, 2010 at 12:03:43 AM EST


Security for the Commonwealth Games has been a key concern, but as contractors are still busy trying to complete construction at some sites.
A security blanket is being made around the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, one of the key venues of the Commonwealth Games.

Security is a key concern especially after Intelligence warning of possible terror strikes. Five venues, including Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, have been declared sensitive.

By now, 1400 security personnel should have been carrying out anti-sabotage checks but with construction work still on at several sites, deployment has been put on hold till August.

NDTV visited the Games' sites to have a sense of the security situation. Wall adjoining Jawaharlal Nehru stadium has several gaps which are still being fixed. Not just that, electrified fencing should have been fixed but clearly that has not happened.

The Delhi Police, which is the nodal agency for the Games' security, have recruited 7,000 Constables just this year. They say anti-sabotage checks can be done once the venues are handed over.

Till then most sites will be guarded by a few private security guards hired by contractors and organisers.