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The 2010 Commonwealth Games is being glorified as a grand coup d'état
for India, especially for Delhi. The event has set numerous
developmental projects on fire. The most ambitious of these projects is
the 118-acre Games Village for the sportspersons visiting Delhi during
the games. But, the story doesn’t end here…
Promising Plans
Plans to construct multi-storied housing complexes, roads, metro
stations, power stations, stadiums, restaurants, and a shopping mall are
in the pipeline. Rs. 3,000 to 5,000 crore is to be spent for these
projects that are going to make Delhi "a global metropolis and a
world-class city". But, behind this tantalising dream lies a dark
reality.
What lies beneath…
The proposed site for the Games Village is none other than the Yamuna
floodplain! Several infrastructure projects such as the Delhi Metro Rail
Corporation (DMRC) Control Area, powerhouses and bridges like the Delhi
NOIDA Direct (DND) Flyway, which connects NOIDA, an industrial satellite
town, to Delhi, are already located on the Yamuna riverbed. The enormous
Village will come up next to the Akshardham temple that is built over an
area of 100 acres on the floodplain.
Threat
The site for the Village is on a faultline and the area is prone to
earthquakes and floods. Until a few years back, the Yamuna would flood
and submerge the entire area! Now, the distance across the river channel
has been reduced from four km to 500m! This has increased the risk of
flooding, as the river does not have its fertile expanse anymore. The
Village site is thus the most vulnerable area.
Moreover,
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The Yamuna floodplain is home to at
least 15 plant species and 97 bird species, along with various other
life forms! They would either be destroyed or driven out of their
natural habitat.
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These projects would clear many
hundreds of acres of land. All natural vegetation would be destroyed
and new breeds of vegetation may be introduced. All of these would
require more water, fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides to
maintain. This may cause contamination of groundwater and the river.
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The land has always served to recharge
Delhi’s groundwater. Constructing such a huge structure on the open
land would also decrease the groundwater catchment area (area in
which water, especially rainwater, runs down to the lowest point via
creeks and collects to form groundwater).
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Building over the Yamuna floodplain
will either obliterate the river, or will set the stage for a
massive man-made disaster.
Reminiscent Fate
A similar kind of construction spree was spurred by the 1982 Asian Games
in Delhi. Many structures, stadiums and flyovers were built. But now,
these are either lying vacant or house senior officials. Construction on
a floodplain also reminds us of the 2005 floods in New Orleans that
submerged nearly 80 per cent of the city.
But, the Urban Development Ministry says it has no choice, as 16.5
hectares of open space is not easily available. Minister for Urban
Development Ajay Maken has assured that “nothing will be done without
environmental clearances, not an inch will be constructed”.
Whatever the promises may be, Yamuna's transformation seems on the
cards!
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