DELHI - THE WORLD'S GAMES CENTRE

By NEWSCOP

Next year’s Commonwealth Games will put tremendous pressure on the already-stretched infrastructure of the city and test the government’s ability to host a global event

The country’s Capital city is a sea of multitudes, a mix of different cultures, a metropolis where the old and the new cohabit. The city is gearing up to host next year’s Commonwealth Games, the biggest sporting event to be held in the country so far.

As it aspires to achieve the status of a world-class city that can put up a great show for the world and play host to athletes and visitors from 57 countries, one wonders if it is really prepared for this challenge? The Games will put tremendous pressure on the already-stretched infrastructure of the city. Delhi may wow the world with its hospitality but what about safety of the visitors? The city doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to maintaining law and order and ensuring safety of its citizens, especially women. How then can it hope to impress the world next year?

The city may not be there yet but efforts are being made at various levels to ensure it performs better on these parameters in future, says Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Delhi head and Feedback Ventures MD Rumjhum Chatterjee. A CII team recently met Delhi government officials and representatives from the Commonwealth Games organising committee. “They are working behind the scenes to avoid media fatigue. The participants are confident they will be able to put the required infrastructure in place in time,” she says. For instance, at least 136 infrastructure projects would be completed by December 2009, while another 30 would be finished by March 2010. The projects include widening of roads, building new flyovers and setting up sports stadia. Plans to set up hotels to accommodate the 1-1.5 lakh foreign visitors are also well on track.

Transport plays a very critical role in holding an event of such magnitude. This includes not just making travel within the city easier but also within the National Capital Region (NCR). Another requirement would be multi-modal integrated transport within the region.

So, Delhi, Noida, Faridabad and Gurgaon are working towards ensuring seamless travel within NCR. A new fleet of 11,000 low-floor buses is being introduced. Most of these buses would start plying on the roads by December this year. A training initiative for the bus drivers and conductors is also being planned. It would not only ensure a better travelling experience for the international visitors but also provide relief to the city’s commuters. Also, work on the new metro train lines within Delhi and those connecting it to Noida and Gurgaon are well on track.

As far as the security is concerned, the law enforcement agencies of Delhi and other cities in the National Capital Region are being trained to manage the law and order situation better. There are also plans to audit these agencies and ensure they meet certain specified standards.

The importance of the Commonwealth Games lies not just in presenting Brand Delhi to the world but also developing a sense of pride among the residents of the city. “The Games will act as a reference point and a great opportunity to develop and promote Delhi as a truly international city but more than that, they should be seen as a step towards building awareness and a sense of belonging among the residents of Delhi,” Ms Chatterjee says.

The city, which is home to different cultures, has no unique culture of its own that could bind its citizens into a common bond. The word ‘Delhiite’ doesn’t usually have a good connotation among its residents and has come to mean someone who’s pretentious and a snob.

Holding a great international event without the involvement of the lo-cal community would be a very difficult task for a city. It’s citizen volunteers that make a sporting event a great success, as the Sydney Olympics and Manchester Commonwealth Games have shown in the past. Volunteers can perform a variety of tasks, such as ushering visitors, looking after athletes, carrying equipment and maintaining order in the stadium. There are attempts underway to rope in volunteers for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The city is hoping its citizens will finally claim it as their own.